


The Artists

by Imaginelndn



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Caroline is artsy and fed up, F/M, Klaus is an artsy ass, aka they can be artsy together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-10-18 07:35:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 68,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17576624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaginelndn/pseuds/Imaginelndn
Summary: Caroline Forbes thinks she might finally have her life sorted. After all, she has an amazing relationship, the perfect best friend, a job she adores, and the chance to finally take her art business to the next level. Then she meets Niklaus Mikaelson, the ridiculously arrogant painter who has the ability to make or break her career. That is, if he doesn't break her first.





	1. The Cafe

Caroline walked down the cobbled side streets of Barcelona, clutching her iPhone and letting the musical stylings of John Mayer play loudly through her ear buds. Her friend Matteo had just gotten a new job at a cafe in Ciutat Vella, something he was quite good at. She had been absolutely swamped for the past few days at work, and agreeing to answer emails while he bused tables beside her had been the agreed upon solution to their recent lack of hangout time. But her music was soon interrupted as the map on her phone alerted her that she had arrived. She swung open the door to the small cafe on her left and was greeted by Matteo standing with one hand on a broom and the other on his hip.

"Aye! Mi primer cliente!" She let out a short laugh and bowed in front of him before standing and staring open-mouthed at the room in front of her. The cafe was beautifully decorated. The ceiling was composed of patterned gold tin panels, the walls painted a burnt orange and accented with antique looking candelabras. The seats were all plush and velvet, draped in wine colored tapestries and adorned with beaded pillows. A series of several paintings hung on the wall, both in contrast and perfect harmony to the decor surrounding them. To Caroline, this was coffee heaven.

"I have to say, of the six jobs in two months this has got to be my favorite"

"Gracias guapa", Matteo said, speeding over to the espresso machine to make her a drink. Caroline leaned slightly against the back of a small chaise lounge near the window, pulling her laptop out of her bag. "Donde esta mi Katherine?", Matteo called from across the room, walking towards her with a small cup and saucer.

She rolled her eyes, "Your Katherine is the same place your Caroline should be, su oficina"

"En mi opinión both of you girls work way too hard. You have no time for life! For sleeping or eating o drinking conmigo", he said, sending an exaggerated pout in her direction.

"Well I suppose that's one of the disadvantages of not quitting your job every few weeks", she quipped, sticking her tongue out. He simply winked at her.

"Work is boring. Matteo does not live a boring life", he said before walking back to the counter and wiping down all of the appliances before opening. She laughed and leaned further back in her seat.

"Tienes razón, al menos uno de nosotros debería ser el amigo divertido" (You're right, one of us should be the fun friend). He simply raised an eyebrow at her use of Spanish. "Que pasa? I've been studying!" She let out a small sound of triumph and turned back to her screen, mindlessly filtering through the spam that had made its way into her inbox before something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

It was one of the paintings on the wall, three of them actually. The artist was different than the ones up front that much was clear. Their style was more distinct, less...settled. The piece that had caught her eye was a depiction of a woman sitting on the edge of a cliff. She was facing away from the viewer, and at first glance it simply looked like a pretty girl overlooking a pretty landscape. Caroline pushed her laptop to the side and walked over to the painting. Upon further inspection the scene was much more insidious. The girl's legs didn't simply dangle off the cliff, rather two strong hands gripped her calves and attempted to pull her down into abyss while her fingers dug into the mud of the rocky edge and the muscles in her arms were tense with fear. It was definitely grim, surely why it had been hung so far towards the back, but Caroline was absolutely taken. "Matteo, who painted this?"

"No sé, todo el arte is a gift from the manager's compañero, some rich hombre de Inglaterra"

"Is there anyway you could find out?", she asked.

"Para vos? Anything", he said with the wink. "I think he keeps his business cards somewhere in back, espera aquí" Caroline's phone began to ring loudly and she turned around, riffling through her bag before making a face at the screen that read Tyler.

Tyler and Caroline could be called dysfunctional high school sweethearts, completely on and off since Junior year. She was the head cheerleader, he was the varsity quarterback, and no matter how many petty fights they had at school dances, they always found their way back to each other. It wasn't until college graduation that Tyler had finally expressed to her the desire to be in a serious, adult relationship. Caroline suspected it had everything to do with Tyler's prospective future in politics and a few lectures from Mr. Lockwood about the importance of family appearance, but she loved him anyways.

For the last two years, they'd made it work. When Caroline got her first job as an assistant to a prominent art curator in Manhattan, Tyler had moved with her. He took a position at a law firm in the city while still managing to handle a few cases at his father's practice back in Mystic Falls, and everything was perfect for about two years. Eventually a downtown realtor she had bought some sculptures for came to her about a gallery space his friend had recently refinished in Spain, saying that he'd be willing to invest in the property if she ran it.

Owning a gallery had been Caroline's life goal since switching her college major to art history, and figuring out how exactly to throw away her biggest dream made that next week absolute hell. She considered asking her best friends but nobody could really understand where she was coming from. Matt was Mystic Falls born and bred. To him, even their move to New York might as well have been NASA level space exploration. Bonnie would probably try to read her tarot cards or something. And Kat, well Kat would forever maintain that the most important person in Caroline's life was Caroline (besides her of course) and probably start the Visa application for her. But, if there was one person she knew she couldn't tell for sure, it was Tyler.

He was sweet the majority of the time, but anger management had never been one of his strong suits. Tyler liked plans, and at that moment the plan was an engagement in a year or two, eventual partner at the law firm, and a smooth transition into a congressional career. Caroline was sure the idea of uprooting their lives for Europe would most likely cause irreparable damage to their relationship and their apartment.

That weekend, Tyler left for a business trip back home with a colleague. He was helping his father out with a large estate settlement for one of the town's founding families, and another lawyer from the New York firm had come to help with their normal case load. Caroline spent nearly her whole week alone crafting an offer rejection letter. It was only two days after his return to the city that she learned Tyler was joined on his work trip by a pretty young first year attorney, and that their duties included far more pleasure than business. It only took one day to pack all of her belongings, and a day later he would admit what she already knew.

Next thing she knew she had her name on the deed of an art gallery in Barcelona and a one way ticket to the El Prat airport. Fortunately her best friend agreed to come with. According to Katherine, one of the benefits of being a successful freelance photographer was that she could work from anywhere, and anywhere Caroline was worked for her. Two weeks later Tyler was found on the cobblestone stairs to her apartment doing something she had never known a Lockwood to do, begging. Against the advice of Kat, Caroline took him back, upon the conditions that she stay in Spain and he prove that he could be trusted. Hence her confusion when she realized he was calling at 3am. Matteo noticed her expression.

"¿Quién es?", he questioned

"Mi novio", she mouthed, sliding her thumb across the screen and accepting the call. Matteo scrunched up his nose like he had caught a whiff of something disgusting and pushed open the doors to the back room. The night she met Matteo he was just a bartender who gave out way too many free drinks, but two hours and one drunk Petrova later he was their new best friend who knew far too much about Caroline's love life, including her "scummy wet dog ass of a boyfriend" according to Kat. Care tried her best to do damage control on that one but hadn't quite worked her magic yet.

"Tyler?", she questioned, putting the phone to her ear.

"Hey Baby", he slurred in response, holding out the last vowel for several seconds. Caroline instinctively put her hand on her hip and sighed. He was drunk dialing her. On one hand, Caroline couldn't spite him. Her and Kat were no strangers to a pitcher of mojitos. But on the other hand the idea of a drunk Tyler in a club full of beautiful women on a Saturday night made her stomach drop.

"You're drunk", she stated unamused.

"Chill Care, I've only had like 5 beers." He tried to snap at her but his voice was slow and lazy.

"Yeah Tyler I can tell. Where are you?" She tried to keep any inkling of insecure girlfriend out of her voice.

"Standing outside of the bar, just calling to make sure my girl can pick me from the airport on the eighteenth" A wide smile tore across Caroline's face.

"You booked your tickets?" After his recent promotion she knew Tyler's next few weeks were hectic, and she was almost sure he was going to back out of his monthly visit this time.

"Actually my assistant booked my tickets. You're dating a junior exec now, and junior execs have people to do that shit for them" She cringed slightly at his arrogance, mostly because no matter how proud she was of him, Tyler's need to be the alpha in every situation could be exhausting. Secondly, Caroline was 80% sure his PA was a very unfortunate unpaid intern. Still, the smile stayed put.

"Well Junior Exec Lockwood, I am very pleased to tell you your girl can definitely pick you up from the airport." It was then that Caroline heard a familiar voice cut through the noisy background.

"Ty come back inside." Caroline's face drained of color and her smile quickly faded. She knew that voice like the back of her hand and she choked slightly on her next few breaths, trying her best to stay calm.

"So uh who are you out with?", Caroline asked. She already knew the answer, but what mattered was the answer Tyler chose to give her.

"Oh uh just some of the team from work." At least these days he had the sense not to lie directly to her face, but she wasn't appeased.

"Is she there?" She could tell Tyler was unsure how to diffuse the situation.

"Care-"

"She is isn't she?" Tyler sighed on the other line.

"Care it's really no big deal, today was Derek Fell's first case win, everyone is out" Caroline loved her boyfriend, truly. At the start when things were hard at the gallery, she could count the dozens of times she wanted to give everything up and book a flight back to JFK. But it was the moments like this, the times where he made her feel crazy for being suspicious, treated her like a paranoid lunatic, acted as if the past didn't exist, that really tested her.

"I just think it's funny that you feel the need to hide things that aren't a big deal Ty", she barked. There was a low growl from the other end of the line.

"Caroline can we not do this shit right now? I called to give you good news the least you can do is have some fucking faith in me okay?", Tyler shouted into her ear. Caroline could feel the tears prickling at her eyes and bit down on her tongue to hold back a small sob.

"You don't want to do this right now? Fine", she said calmly, pulling the phone away from her ear and tapping end.

She wasn't one to lose it in front of others. Teenage Caroline had been a sort of emotional mess, always crying over boys or her parents, and as a business woman the only emotion Caroline could afford to show was confidence.

These days she mainly reserved her tears for drunken cry sessions with Katherine but the second she saw Matteo looking at her from the counter across the room she broke down.

"No no no no no mija, no crying", he said, rushing across the room and pulling her into a hug. She punched his shoulder slightly and shook her head.

"Why? Why are men so stupid? Why am I so stupid? Why can't I just trust him?"

"If I knew the answer to that mija, maybe I wouldn't be single". He pulled one of her hands from her face and folded something flat in her palm. It felt like some sort of paper. Caroline opened her eyes and peeked down. "El número, for the agent", Matteo said.

Caroline looked up at him and sniffled, all her thoughts of Tyler drifting awake like smoke. "Oh my god you are the best!", she cried, rushing back to her seat and throwing her laptop back into her bag and tossing her jacket over the crook of her arm. "I have to get back to the office but you", she shouted holding the card up in the air, "you are amazing!"

Caroline all but sprinted back to the metro, shoving her way through the turnstile and hopping up into the train car just as it began to signal the closing doors. She took a free seat next to the exit and let her heart rate slow for a minute before glancing down at the card in her hands. Caroline immediately wished that she hadn't.


	2. The Dilemma

The card wasn't just for any local art agent, the card was for Elijah Mikaelson of the Mikaelson family. In America that didn't mean too much. If you weren't a famous ex boyband member or Real Housewife she would be hard pressed to find your name on the front page of any grocery store tabloid. In Europe however, the Mikaelsons were right up there with the royal family. She wasn't quite sure how many there were considering they were practically an English 19 kids and counting. She knew this much though: they were rich, they were famous, and Caroline probably had a better shot of becoming president than getting a meeting with one of them.

She knew a few of the siblings by name. Kol, probably around Caroline's age, was known for his musical endeavors and party boy qualities. From what Caroline could tell, when he wasn't on tour with his band or running his record company he was breaking the heart of whatever 18 year old model he could get his hands on. Rebekah was another, total socialite, probably off somewhere getting her nails done with the queen or romancing a crown prince of Norway. There were a few more, but the last one she could actually recall by name was Klaus. Caroline didn't know much about him but she didn't think anyone else did either. From what she could tell he tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid the spotlight altogether. He had a past similar to his younger brother but these days he mostly kept to himself. Caroline figured the only reason she could put the name to a face was due to his relationship with some famous Eastern European model. She seemed to follow the cameras and he seemed to follow her.

Elijah however, was huge. Caroline was no finance major but from what she knew their father Mikael had grown an empire from buying and selling companies and Elijah was one of few who had decided to carryon the family business. When he wasn't dealing with mergers and acquisitions however, he practically ran the British art and antiques market. If his artists weren't huge already, they were after signing to him. This begged the question as to why his art was hanging in a hole-in-the-wall cafe in Barcelona. But, instead of contemplating she simply shoved the card back into her purse and wondered how she'd already been dealt two hits by 10am.

Caroline was being dramatic. She knew because it had always been one of her specialties. Her gallery was doing well already, great actually. Three of the shows she had done since leaving New York sold out completely and according to the books they were doing perfectly fine in the financial sense.

Unfortunately for Caroline, the luster had worn off being fine almost immediately. She had given up everything to run this gallery and if she was ever going to prove to anyone that silly, vapid little Caroline Forbes could actually make something of herself without her sheriff mother or lawyer boyfriend she needed a change, and soon.

The train pulled into her usual stop and she climbed up the stairs to street level, beginning the walk back home. She was doing everything in her power to focus on the architecture of the gothic quarter rather than her urge to buy a pint or two of Ben and Jerry's at one of the supermercats along her route. Caroline prayed that Katherine had left her studio early that day. There was only so long she could vent to the hoard of stray cats that hung around their terrace until she totally lost it.

Arriving at the entrance to her apartment building she pulled her keys from her bag and unlocked the front door of their lobby before taking the elevator up to the third floor. The knob turned without resistance and the unlocked door opened with ease, signaling the presence of her roommate.

"Kattttttt", she yelled as she kicked off her favorite suede wedges.

"That's my name, don't wear it out", a feminine voice called from the living room. Caroline walked through the hallway to see Katherine in a tattered cotton romper and messy bun, rolling a blunt on their coffee table.

Everyone in Caroline's friend group had pretty much moved on from their pothead phase by senior year, but Kat never managed to kick the habit completely, especially when stressed over an upcoming journal assignment or deadline. She was laying on her back staring up at the ceiling, her feet draped over their sofa's arm rest. Kat turned her head in the direction of the doorway as Caroline entered the room, noticing her friend's puffy eyes and swollen cheeks almost instantly. Her expression quickly changed to one of worry and she stood up. "Care what's wrong?", she asked seriously.

Without any notice, Care's eyes began to well up once again. "My life is a shit show Kat, an absolute fucking shit show! Every time I start to think things are finally working out reality comes around and kicks me in the ass! First I get in this huge fight with Ty-"

"You know I've offered you a solution to that", Katherine interrupted. Caroline looked at her best friend incredulously.

"Oh my god Kat for the last time we are not hiring one of your weird Bulgarian cousins to execute my boyfriend!", Caroline whisper-shouted.

Kat made a small hmmph noise. "I'm just saying they're very good at what they do." When Caroline didn't respond again to her proposal she continued, "So do you want to tell me what happened?"

"With Tyler? No. I'm making the very mature and adult decision to pretend it never happened and avoid dealing with it until the last possible moment". Katherine nodded as if that was a perfectly acceptable solution. Caroline threw her bag on the ground and flopped down on the couch across from her roommate. "And god, Kat I found the most amazing artist today at Matteo's new cafe. They're like, insanely talented. If I could get a show for an artist like that we'd be set for the next two quarters easily", she groaned.

"So why don't you?", Kat asked, taking a hit of her joint. Caroline simply rolled her eyes at the other girl's obliviousness.

"Gee Katerina, you're so smart, why ever didn't I think of that?", she drawled and paused for effect earning a sneer from her friend. "It turns out, the artist's agent is Elijah Mikaelson." Katherine started to choke on the smoke in her lungs.

"Mikaelson? Like posh British Kardashians Mikaelson?", she asked, catching her breath. Katherine swung her legs off the couch and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Yup", Caroline said with a pop. "Except I'm pretty sure the Mikaelsons could buy the Kardashians 6 times over". Katherine stared at her wide-eyed and passed her the joint. Caroline scrunched up her face, "If I recall correctly, you're the druggie in the house Kat."

Katherine shrugged, "Yes, but I'm also the selfless one, and right now it seems you need this more than I do." Caroline laughed and took a small hit before passing it back, feeling a bit like a reckless teenager in an angsty phase. "So...what are you going to say?", Katherine asked expectantly.

"What do you mean?" Caroline stared at her friend confused. Katherine looked at Caroline like she was an idiot.

"I mean what are you going to say when you call his office?", she asked once more. "You don't just get on the phone with Elijah Mikaelson without some rehearsal first, and you know how much I love critiquing people."

"Kat the whole point of this conversation was to explain why I can't call his office. Irrelevant beggars like me probably get charged a few grand for every money-making minute of his time they waste."

Katherine rolled her eyes and went back to examining her manicure. "Caroline sweetie, if you're going to use excuses to mask your insecurity at least do a better job with the acting. Weren't you in that college production of Sense and Sensibility or something?" Caroline went to interject before she was cut off again. "You're right, that's not important. What I'm trying to say is that you need to pull yourself together. It's not as if you looked him up in the White Pages. You've got the guy's number, so call him. Worst case scenario? He says no, but I highly doubt Elijah Mikaelson sits around in his office all day waiting for small gallery owners to call just so he can blacklist them from the art world forever." Caroline stayed quiet, staring at her hands and twiddling the rings on her fingers while Kat waved a ziploc baggie in front of her face. "Besides, you're always welcome to borrow some herbal courage."

"Yes Kat because that's the way I should go into the most important moment of my professional career, absolutely baked."

Kat just smirked at her. "So you're going to do it?", she demanded.

"It's just a call", Caroline insisted as Katherine stood up and crossed the room, opening a side table drawer and pulling out a small notebook.

"What are you doing?", she asked with knowing suspicion.

"Getting the score book obviously, I won", Kat stated, scribbling a tally mark next to her own name.

Caroline immediately began to protest, "Oh you so did not win! Come on Kat I've bought the drinks the last three weeks!"

Katherine returned to her original position on the couch and flicked her hand towards Caroline in a sort of dismissal gesture. "Maybe if you stopped making bad choices you wouldn't have to keep dipping into your shoe fund to pay for my margaritas. Now go, make your call before it gets too late." Caroline huffed loudly and snatched her purse off the table, stalking out onto the balcony with the business card in one hand and her phone in the other.


	3. The Proposal

Caroline sat down on one of the small metal chairs of the balcony and unlocked her phone with shaky hands.

Katherine made some valid points. Elijah would most likely say no but that wasn't the first and almost definitely not the last no she would ever get.

The business card was printed on plain white card stock, simplistic, expensive and very intimidating. She took a few deep breaths as she dialed and hoped Kat's "herbal courage" would kick in soon enough. The phone barely rang once before it was answered.

"Mikaelson Holdings, how may I direct your call?" A woman's posh English accent came through her end of the phone.

Caroline wasn't dumb enough to think she'd been given Elijah's direct line, but stumbled regardless, "Oh hi! Um I'm looking to speak with Elijah Mikaelson. Any chance he's in?", she attempted to ask sweetly.

"What's the nature of your call?" The woman's tone was one of boredom and indifference.

"I'm just calling to inquire about one of the artists he represents", Caroline stammered. Most of the smaller art agents she worked with were close friends so she was hardly used to secretarial grilling, but at least whoever she had the luck of speaking to today didn't seem to care much for screening caller credentials. Caroline heard the muffled clicking of acrylic nails on a keyboard.

"Mr. Mikaelson just got out of a meeting. Please hold and I'll send your call through to his office". The woman didn't bother to wait for a response as Caroline soon heard the melodic piano of hold music.

Caroline internally wracked her brain for what to do as she realized Plan A didn't even involve her getting this far. She put two fingers on the pulse point of her wrist and tried to slow her breathing, mentally rehearsing her spiel. Four of five minutes passed, feeling like a lifetime, but eventually the receiver clicked.

"Elijah Mikaelson, may I ask whose calling?" His voice was a low baritone, both polite and commanding at the same time.

"Mr. Mikaelson, hi um this is Caroline Forbes, owner of La Galería de Zor-"

"La Galería de Zorros", he cut her off, "Miss Forbes it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." In retrospect, Caroline was almost one hundred percent sure the medical term for what happened next was dying and coming back to life. Her mind went totally blank. Elijah Mikaelson knowing her gallery was not a part of her spiel, nor was it included in Plans A, B, or C. Several seconds of silence went by before Elijah spoke again. "Miss Forbes?", he said, snapping Caroline out of her trance.

"Yes! Hi, sorry. That's me I'm here", she rambled on after coming to. "Sorry sir, I'm just, I didn't expect, I mean, you've heard of us?", she sputtered.

Elijah chuckled, "Please Miss Forbes, the term sir is reserved for my father. But yes, I make it my business to know of all the largest art galleries in Europe". Caroline was instantly thankful he couldn't see her blush.

"Well I wouldn't call us one of the largest..."

"Perhaps not, but certainly up and coming. Two of the artists you've hosted in the last year have had pieces accepted by the MoMA. Three of your shows sold completely. It seems that you have quite impeccable taste. What can I do for you Miss Forbes?"

Caroline paused. The last year had been hardly been easy. Between her personal life and trying to establish a gallery in the European market, she had finally seen some success in the last few artists she'd worked with. Still, flattered did not begin to describe her feelings in that moment. Impeccable taste was a term reserved for the Anna Wintours and Jasper Johns of the world, not small town Virginia natives like Caroline Forbes.

Encouraged by his words, her confidence began to build. She was unsure of whether it was Kat's pot or her own abilities, but she immediately sat up straight and crossed her legs, beginning her proposal. "I'm Charmed Mr. Mikaelson, but I'm actually calling about one of your artists. I was in a cafe the other day on Carrer dels Tallers and was quite taken by a few of the paintings on the wall. According to the owner, you're the man to contact, hence how I got your number." She decided to leave Matteo's role in raiding the back office out of the conversation.

Elijah let out a chuckle, "It seems you've happened upon one of my hidden gems of Europe Miss Forbes. Unfortunately, those paintings were a gift to the owner, they're not for sale."

"Oh I don't want to buy the paintings, I tend to keep the art in my home a bit less...homicidal", she attempted to joke. "The point is I think they can sell. I want to do a show with the artist, in my gallery.

It was silent for a moment before Caroline heard a sigh from the other end of the line. "Miss Forbes, I'm sorry but I'm afraid that's not possible."

Caroline was confused to say the least. Elijah Mikaelson had spent the last 10 minutes showering her with praise only to say...no? At this rate it appeared Plan D wasn't going to work out either.

"I don't understand", she said dejectedly.

"The artist who's work you saw...he doesn't do shows", Elijah responded vaguely. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. That's what the problem was? An artist who had never shown in gallery?

"I can work with an inexperienced artist I don't mind!", She piped up quickly.

Again it was almost as if she could hear Elijah's grin through the phone. "I would hardly call him inexperienced Miss Forbes. Nick is easily my most popular artist. However, his work does best in private auctions facilitated by me. Galleries, parties, networking...people for that matter, they aren't really his thing."

She could tell Elijah was trying his best to sound understanding but something inside her snapped. Suddenly Miss Forbes, the charming gallery owner, was replaced by Caroline, the very stubborn head cheerleader, former reigning Miss Mystic, and notorious control freak.

She rolled her eyes. "People aren't his thing? Seriously? Elijah I'm not looking to throw a Sweet Sixteen, it's an art show", she said frankly. "I get the whole mysterious brooding artist thing I do. I've done it a million times, really, and whatever antisocial narcissistic asshole this Nick guy may be, he's good. I mean he's really good. And if it's exposure you're worried about...well we might be a smaller gallery but I can assure you we pull a good crowd."

When she didn't hear anything from the other end of the line she resorted to the most Caroline Forbes approved tactic of them all, begging. "Please Mr. Mikaelson, I will do anything to make this happen", she said regaining some semblance of formality.

If Elijah was taken aback by her change in attitude, he didn't show it. "I believe you Miss Forbes, but even if I managed to convince Nick to do a show, in terms of what I stand to gain-"

"Two artists", she cut him off.

"Excuse me?"

"Convince him to do the show and I'll show two more of your artists in my gallery, any time, no questions asked. I'll even lower my commission" Bribery wasn't always more effective than begging, but Caroline was desperate.

The line was silent for another minute or so. "I can't guarantee anything", he said finally.

Caroline sank down into her seat, releasing all of the tension in her muscles. She was going to make this happen. She was going to put herself on the map. She could do this. "I don't need a guarantee, just a shot."

"I'll see if I can arrange a time to get him to Spain"

"No need", Caroline responded with more confidence this time. A three hour flight to Spain meant three more hours this Nick guy could decide to back out. "I'm flying into London on Thursday for a friend's charity gala. I'll be there for two weeks, we can set something up then."

Caroline couldn't see Elijah Mikaelson in that moment, but a small part of her was willing to bet there was a look of defeat across his face. "Of course, I'll have my secretary call you this week"

"Perfect. And Elijah? It was a pleasure doing business with you", she said with a grin.

Caroline jumped out of her seat immediately following the call and yelped loudly. Rushing past her roommate and down the three flights of stairs to the small shop on the corner. Yes, she thought as she pulled five euro out of her jeans pocket, she had definitely earned the ice cream.


	4. The Flight

Caroline woke up that Thursday morning, washed her face, swiped some concealer under her eyes, and resolved to do the bare minimum necessary to still resemble her passport photo. She looked in the mirror, deciding to keep the keep the messy bun she had worn to bed the night before and sport an overall distressed chic look.

The flight wasn't that long but she still dressed for comfort in a ripped cotton t-shirt, gray drop-crotch joggers, and a pair of extremely oversized black sunglasses. It wasn't her most fashionable look, but the meeting Elijah had set up wasn't until later that evening and this was one of the few times outside of America that it was passable to wear what were pretty much just pajamas in public.

They would gain an hour on the plane anyways, giving her plenty of time to fix her face once she arrived. She was pretty sure her meeting was just drinks at an upscale hotel in SoHo, but it wouldn't hurt to look her best. Caroline wasn't dumb, she knew she was pretty. Maybe she wasn't a knockout like Kat or a girl next door like Elena, but she was cute enough to charm the average guy for a few hours. And hopefully a few hours with Nick was all she would need.

Caroline rolled her suitcase out to the living room where Katherine sat on their leather couch editing some photos on her laptop.

Kat pushed her laptop to the side and looked at Caroline, assessing her outfit. "Why are you dressed like a Justin Bieber backup dancer?"

"Because Kat, not everyone wears six inch stilettos to the airport", Caroline shrugged taking a bite out of an apple she'd grabbed from the kitchen.

"Yes well, at least we know if the plane goes down you can use your pants as a make shift parachute", she replied with a smirk

"You know", Caroline said staring at her friend, "It's not too late to switch your flight. Just imagine, two full weeks in London instead of one." Caroline wasn't necessarily scared of going alone, but when she wasn't preoccupied with work, wandering around the city by herself seemed much less enticing than dragging Kat along with her.

"Slow your role sweetie. Seven days in the same country as the Salvatore brothers is more than enough for me. The last thing I want to do is attend a charity gala with both of my ex boyfriends and the creepy little Katherine knockoff they share these days", Kat whined from her seat. She was, of course planning on joining Caroline in London a week from today, (Katerina Petrova was never one to turn down a vacation) but she would be skipping all of the festivities beforehand.

The Salvatore Foundation's annual charity gala was hosted by two of the family's most prominent members and one of Caroline's best friends, brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore. And in classic Kat fashion, she had, at one point, dated them both. The pair was born to Italian parents in London but had pretty much been attending American boarding schools since they could walk. Stefan and Caroline had met in college as fellow art majors and became best friends almost instantly. This, made Kat jealous to say the least, and in an attempt to keep her best friend from replacing her with "the fake Brit with a stupid haircut" she instead started banging the fake Brit with a stupid haircut.

At the time Caroline was still dating Tyler, and had always seen Stefan as more of a brother than anything else. Unfortunately for Katherine that meant she had accomplished nothing except falling head over heels for the boy. Stefan fell right back and they were completely obsessed with each other.

They had made it work for a few months but it was pretty obvious from the start they were never really right for each other. Whereas Stefan was all blue skies and rainbows, Katherine was the reason they named Hurricanes after people. After realizing she could never really fit the bill of Stefan's perfect girl, Kat dumped him and moved on to the next best thing, his older brother Damon.

That romance had fizzled out relatively quickly. The only person more psychotic than Kat was Damon, and the only thing they really seemed to do well with each other was fight. Plus, when you factored in the reality that Katherine was still in love with his younger brother, things started to crash and burn pretty early on.

Now it seemed that history was doomed to repeat itself. Stefan was currently dating Elena Gilbert, a masters of English Lit student studying abroad in London. Things between them had seemed great, but he'd confessed on a Skype call to Caroline last month that he had caught her kissing Damon one night after a party at the boarding house. Caroline had let it slip a few weeks ago while they were out for drinks, and Kat's face still lit up like a kid in a candy shop whenever it was mentioned.

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Elena's nice Kat."

"Of course she is, she's me", Kat mocked from the couch while scrolling through Elena Gilbert's Instagram feed, "except with worse hair, an uglier wardrobe and zero personality". Caroline couldn't really argue that point. With long dark hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin, Elena was one boob job and a trip to Saks away from looking like Katherine's clone.

"Must mean they have good taste then", Caroline goaded the other girl while swinging her purse up on to her shoulder.

Katherine looked beyond offended. "And for that Caroline Forbes, I hope you have a shitty shitty flight".

Caroline just smiled and began to roll her suitcase down the hallway towards their front door. "Love you too Kat, see you in a week!", she called back in response.

"I'm serious Forbes! I hope there's zero legroom! And a toddler kicks the shit out of your seat!", she continued to rant as Caroline shut their front door and went to catch a cab.

It was early enough in the morning that the streets were fairly quiet, and it only took a short five minute walk before she spotted a taxi with its green light on. She stuck her hand out and it pulled up to the sidewalk. Caroline opened the door, pulling her suitcase into the backseat with her to avoid an extra charge for using the trunk.

"El aeropuerto por favor, terminal a." The driver nodded in response and Caroline took out her phone, pulling up the notes app and looking over her agenda for the day. So far, it looked something like this:

1) Arrive in London & Uber to hotel

2) Call Stefan & Go shopping

3) Get ready for meeting with Nick

4) Make Nick fall in love with me and do millions of shows at my gallery

Caroline was completely on track with everything except step four. She didn't exactly need him to fall in love with her, but it would certainly help the deal along if there were some mutual interests they could bond over. Caroline was fully prepared to spend the plane ride studying up on the Wikipedia pages of Star Wars or Chelsea FC or whatever other idiotic things this man was into, but she still knew nothing.

Unsurprisingly the phrase "Nick artist British painting girl scenery" had returned enough internet results to keep her searching for another year or two, and Elijah's secretary's email had only given her a restaurant name and reservation time for that night. Caroline was going into this operation totally blind and was praying that she wouldn't pay for it.

The cab pulled up to the terminal entrance just as Caroline finished scanning the eighteenth Google results page. She shook her head with dissatisfaction and paid the driver, saying a quick thank you before heading towards security. Caroline flew often enough that she knew the line like the back of her hand, and given that she was one day ahead of most of the weekend travelers, she had managed to grab her bags and put her shoes back on all within 10 minutes.

A quick scan of the arrivals and departures board showed that her gate announcement hadn't even been made yet, so she headed towards Pans downstairs for a croissant and cafe con leche, stopping at one of the convenience shops for a bottle of water and a magazine on the way. She opted for a copy of Glamour UK but couldn't help but notice Kol Mikaelson's face plastered across the front page of the Sun. The picture was taken outside of a nightclub and showed him pulling a young girl by the hand towards a black SUV. Caroline shook her head, hard pressed to believe that he came from the same lot as the charming man she had spoken to last week. She tore her eyes away as the girl at the register said the total, handing over her debit card and heading back in the direction of breakfast.


	5. The Meeting

Caroline hopped off the plane at London Heathrow Airport to something rarely seen in dreary ole England, sunshine. She took a breath of fresh air and boarded the shuttle back to baggage claim, trying her best to avoid the temptation of an extremely expensive latte from the terminal Starbucks. She had a bit of an unnatural love for airports as it was one of her core beliefs that they were, in fact, a shopper's paradise. I mean where else could you buy a Gucci bag, a ridiculously oversized bottle of vodka, and a neck pillow all in one place?

Keeping her eyes steered straight in front of her and tuning out the siren-like call of the duty free deals, she quickly located the luggage carousel and was pleasantly surprised when her suitcase was one of the first out of the hold. Her luck so far today was unreal. Grabbing the top handle of her bag she pulled opened the Uber app on her phone and waited for her car's arrival, tilting her head and listening to all the people buzzing around her. Like every girl on the planet, Caroline loved British accents. She couldn't even get annoyed at the taxi men who waited by the exit doors for tourists like vultures, because each time they spoke it felt like she was in some critically acclaimed BBC drama.

Eventually a sleek black car pulled up to the curb and rolled down the driver's side window.

"Uber for Caroline?", the driver asked in a chipper voice. Caroline nodded with a smile and climbed in the backseat. She gave him the name of her hotel, St. Pancras Renaissance, and he noticed her American accent. "First time in London Miss?"

"Not exactly, but possibly my first sunny time in london", she joked.

The driver let out a small chuckle, "Not wrong there love, it's shaping up to be quite the beautiful day."

Caroline thought back to her impending meeting that night, "Yeah, let's hope."

Upon arriving at her hotel and checking in, Caroline walked up the elaborately decorated stairs towards the elevators, taking one up to the fourth floor. It was early in the day, only around 10:45, but Caroline was exhausted. She collapsed backwards on to the fluffy white duvet and stared up at the ceiling, willing herself to get up and change. She peeked over at her suitcase across the other side of the room and sighed, choosing instead to call Stefan and let him know she had made it safely.

The phone rang a few times before she heard Stefan's familiar voice in her ear. "What's up Care Bear? I'm assuming your plane got in alright."

She smiled fondly at the nickname he used for her, "Well Mr. Salvatore you would assume correctly as I'm currently calling you from my hotel room."

He sighed in annoyance, "Care I wish you had just agreed to stay at the boarding house, you know there's plenty of room and I miss our sleepovers."

"Trust me Stef I know, but I'm doing this for your sake. You don't honestly think Elena would be happy with her straight boyfriend's straight female best friend spending two weeks sleeping in his house do you?", Caroline countered.

"Elena knows it's not like that between us, she would be totally okay with it", he insisted. Caroline let out a burst of laughter at how stupid men could be sometimes.

"No, she would tell you she was okay with it in an attempt to seem like the chill, non-jealous girlfriend, and then she would spend the rest of your relationship resenting and hating me."

"Well", Stefan began with laughter in his voice, "we could always tell her you're sleeping with Damon."

Caroline scoffed, "We could also tell her I have a full time job harvesting baby organs and selling them on the black market, if we're going to lie to the girl let's at least go with the believable one." She tried not to make her distaste for the eldest Salvatore brother obvious, but sometimes she just couldn't help it. "Anyways the reservation is for two weeks, so enough Elena talk and more gala talk, what's this year's dress code?" Stefan was silent on the other end of the line. "Stefan-"

"Lexi is the one who's in charge of this stuff, not me", he began.

"Yeah and Lexi is the one who thought last year's dress code should be animal print", she sighed thinking back to the ridiculous theme Stefan's cousin had decided on for the most recent gala.

"I thought the animal print thing was kind of cool", he said in her defense.

"Oh shut up Stef we looked like we were filming the live action version of Tarzan!"

"Well then, you'll be happy to know that this year it's a white party." Caroline was not at all happy to hear that.

"For god's sake Stefan can't you guys just do cocktail attire for once like normal people? Nobody looks good in white"

He snorted, "According to Lexi, she looks very good in white." That's because Lexi looks good in everything Caroline thought, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, white it is. I'll see you tomorrow night. You're lucky I love you though", she reminded him before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.

Caroline huffed and unzipped her suitcase, grabbing a tank top style t-shirt dress and black combat boots, keeping everything else relatively the same. Deciding to take the tube, she looked up the stop nearest to the Selfridges on Oxford Street and quickly purchased an Oyster card, making her way to the platform.

She typically stuck to high street shops but the Salvatore gala was a huge networking opportunity, and it was worthy of a real dress. So, she walked into Selfridges with a mission and her credit card in hand, heading for a rack of white dresses. The first she tried on was cute. The design was strapless and made out a thick bandage material that clung to her body and ended mid-thigh. It would probably look great on someone with curves like Kat's, but Caroline couldn't help but think she looked like a weird, slutty mummy. The next two were okay, they fit fine and looked like they would be perfect for a cousin's baby shower but didn't exactly scream confident business woman. Searching through rack after rack she began to lose hope before she saw it.

The dress was beautiful. It was made out of white silk that flowed down in a cowl neck style at the front. The top was held up by two strings that met at the base of her neck and connected to a long rhinestone chain attached to the back of the dress right at the end of her spine, leaving her entire back exposed. The scandalous top was evened out by a more conservative bottom half. The dress still clung to her hips and legs but stopped fairly low, right above her knees. Caroline was never one to call herself cocky, but even she knew she looked good. This was the dress.

After handing the sales worker her card she promptly shut her eyes and covered her ears, refusing to acknowledge the fortune the dress most likely cost, and left the store.

She opted to save the rest of her rent money for that month by scaling back her dinner attire, but after looking through endless displays of clothes at topshop she was starting to get anxious. At this point it was mid afternoon, and she'd only managed to find one of two outfits. It seemed like literally everything she laid her eyes on was either too plain to make a statement, or so much you wanted to gag.

While looking through a rack of sundresses she quickly shoved past a red dress before backtracking. She pulled the hanger from the rack and held it against her body in a nearby mirror. It was a light cotton material with lace overlay, possibly a bit shorter than necessary but a perfect color for the time of year, and the frilled sleeves that ended at her elbow contrasted the length and deep v nicely. Deciding that it would have to do, she quickly paid before grabbing a cab back to her hotel, not willing to risk any train delays.

After getting upstairs and showering, she pulled a massive train case from her bag and began her makeup. Thankfully her stress levels from the past week hadn't yet triggered any break outs and the look didn't require much of her foundation. However, the Barcelona weather had left her slightly more tan than usual but with a bit of bronzer and a soft gold highlight to even it out, she looked a bit like the young Spanish women she would see enjoying tapas and sangria with their friends at the rooftop bars Kat loved to frequent.

After a long internal debate about whether red lips and a red dress were too much, Caroline decided on a shimmery peach lipgloss, and after adding a few loose curls to her blonde hair, she was ready to go. She put on a pair of brown suede heels with laces that wrapped up the length of her calves and made her way downstairs to the lobby.

According to the email she'd been sent, she would be meeting Nick for drinks at the Ham Yard Hotel. While at this rate she would be about half an hour early, she figured arriving first meant she could sneak a martini or two to calm her nerves, especially if this meeting was bound to go in the direction Elijah suspected it would.

Walking through the glass doors of the hotel lobby she quickly located the bar and took a seat on one of the stools, ordering a Manhattan and repeatedly texting Kat for reassurance. Well, about as much reassurance as Kat could provide someone. Checking the clock for the fourth time since arriving, she realized more time had passed than she thought. She stuck her hand out, signaling to the bartender to bring her another drink when she heard someone cough from behind her.

A deep accented voice followed, "Drinking already love? And without me?"

Caroline smiled brightly and began to swivel her seat around, prepared to greet the artist she'd spent the last week obsessing over. From where she was sitting on the stool she made eye contact with his torso first, lifting her eyes up to his face. The feeling of recognition that followed was instant, hitting her like a speeding bus, and she couldn't stop the words that spilled out next.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

It seemed Caroline's luck had finally run out.


	6. The Arrangement

Caroline stared open mouthed at the man in front of her, completely unable to process what was going on.

The expression on his face wasn't a smile, but rather an arrogant smirk that seemed to quirk into the dimple on his right cheek. He seemed cheeky, and she imagined to the casual onlooker (who'd been living under a rock for the last 10 years) that Klaus Mikaelson was simply an old school friend come to catch up with a past mate. His temples were creased as if his expression was one of genuine pleasure, however the grin didn't quite reach his light blue eyes.

They were the kind of blue she imagined girls swooned at the thought of staring into, but to Caroline they were cold and calculating. He seemed to look at her as if she was one of the deer her uncle used to hunt, and he was watching her through the scope of a rifle.

The man was dressed plainly in an off white henley and ripped black jeans, a collection of leather and chain hanging from his neck. His sandy blonde hair was unstyled but it didn't look unkept either, his face all angles and lines. What appeared to be a sharp jaw and strong chin on the cover of a magazine read like the hollowed out cheekbones of a skull in real life. Wide caverns under his eyes suggested perhaps he had missed one too many nights of sleep this week. He had shaved recently, but the five o'clock shadow making it's appearance for the night was obvious.

Klaus Mikaelson was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but currently the man standing in front of her looked like a Ken doll with a drinking problem.

"Well Love, not the reaction I get from most women but I'll take it", he glanced at the stool next to her as if asking for permission to take a seat before moving towards the spot anyways. Caroline could not believe this was happening to her. She was supposed to be meeting her dream artist, someone fresh and undiscovered, not London's Sexiest Man Alive 2018. At this point, any hope that things would go according to plan was far gone.

She could not believe Elijah had screwed her over like this. I mean was it that hard to say, "Actually Miss Forbes, the artist you've happened upon is my extremely famous brother. He's not exactly in the market for an show at a plebeian art gallery in Spain, but thank you for asking." Weren't British people like notoriously polite anyways? But Elijah was right, Nick was doing perfectly fine on his own, and it was painfully obvious that this had become an epic waste of her time.

"Your brother told me your name was Nick", she said through gritted teeth.

He reached over the bar and pulled a bottle of beer from the well, popping the cap off with a set of car keys. "Niklaus actually. Nick to friends and family, Klaus to the rest of the world. But", he said looking in her direction, "I assume you knew that one already." Klaus sent a wink her way.

"He also told me you were an artist", she spat in disbelief.

"That I am, a painter actually." Sensing her disbelief Klaus turned his body towards her's, "How else did you think I made a living Love?" His attempt at flirtation was both tiresome and ineffective, causing Caroline to roll her eyes so far back into her head she swore she could see her own brain.

"I don't know, trust fund baby? Serial model dater? I didn't think the comically rich needed to do much of anything."

He took another sip of his beer, "You're technically correct in that respect. I have enough money to last me a few hundred lifetimes, but it's something to do so", he shrugged.

"Something to do?", she repeated his words aloud, finding it hard to believe that someone could detach themselves so completely from such a personal line of work. Caroline scoffed at his nonchalance and began to gather her things without paying. Rich boy could foot the bill on this one. She went to put on the leather jacket hanging over the back of her seat when his hand landed on top of hers, effectively freezing her in place.

"Going somewhere Miss Forbes?", he asked casually.

Caroline quickly came to discover that she hated the way he looked at her. It was so...disarming. She felt inexplicably vulnerable under his gaze, like he saw her in pieces, every little detail separately and it was his job to figure out how they fit together. She broke eye contact, her frustration rushing back like a tidal wave.

"I'm sure your brother told you why I asked to speak with you Nick," she said, putting an emphasis on his alias. "I wanted to do an art show, and seeing as how that clearly won't be happening, I'm off."

He relaxed his grip slightly but let his hand remain on top of hers. "What makes you think I won't do it?", he asked, silencing her again.

Caroline stared at him dumbfounded. "What?"

She could tell Klaus' patience was starting to wear thin. "What. Makes. You. Think. I won't do the show?", he repeated slowly, enunciating each syllable as if she was a toddler. Caroline yanked her hand out from under his grip, deciding that every second he kept her there was one second closer she came to finding the nearest gossip columnist and agreeing to do a tell all interview about him.

"Mr. Mikaelson, I'm assuming we've both been in this business long enough to understand the fundamental reasons why gallery owners do shows, commission and clientele. And artists? Money and exposure. As far as I can tell, you lack neither, therefore this conversation is over."

Klaus seemed more amused at her little outburst than anything, and she had almost made it to the doors when he called out across the room, "What if I want something else?" Caroline stopped in her tracks, her face turning a deep shade of red at the implication of Klaus' words, and enraged by his audacity, turned on her heel and marched back in his direction.

Caroline had dealt with men like this all her life, men who thought the world and all its spoils were just theirs for the taking. She'd dealt with it from her dad when he decided to up and leave her for another family when she was only twelve. She'd dealt with it from every college professor who thought she wasn't as worthy as her male peers. Hell, she dealt with it from her boyfriend, who expected her to ignore all the looks he gave female waitresses or the smiles he reserved for pretty interns. But Caroline Forbes would be damned if she took it from some rich bastard named Niklaus Mikaelson.

She came inches away from his face, so close that she could smell the Margiela cologne on his collarbone. "You're an idiot if you think I'd ever be dumb enough to sleep with you", she whispered venomously.

Klaus looked momentarily taken aback at her show of vitriol before regaining his composure and letting out a short laugh, "and you, are very conceited if you think I would be dumb enough to risk a sexual harassment lawsuit for a quick shag." Caroline quickly realized her assumption was wrong, and her face grew hot with embarrassment at his rejection. "But, I do have a deal to propose."

She sat back in her original seat and eyed him with suspicion, "go on..."

"Elijah informed me that you were in town for a charity event, would I be correct to assume it's the Salvatore's annual gala?", he asked.

Caroline's tone was impatient, "Yeah that's the one", she ushered.

His grin returned, "Excellent, because it just so happens that I, am in need of a date."

Caroline was...confused. It's not like she read every trashy magazine she came across, but she'd seen enough to know Klaus had been serious with some Romanian supermodel named Tatia for nearly a year.

"Well lucky for you Klaus, that's what girlfriends are for", she raised an eyebrow in reminder.

Klaus' face grew dark, his jaw clenched and he dug his fingers into his thigh where they rested. "My former girlfriend Tatia will be in attendance yes, but that is where you come in Caroline", he informed her in a low voice.

While she may not understand it, it was clear Klaus didn't exactly have much trouble with women. So why he was choosing to share his girl troubles with a near stranger was perplexing to her. "Do you want me to set you up on a date or something?"

Klaus stared at her the way people stared at those birds that followed each other off cliffs, like she was such an idiot it was pitiful.

"Caroline I need you to come as my date, more specifically my fake girlfriend", he said bluntly. Instantly Caroline began to choke on her Manhattan, coughing and sputtering while she blindly reached around for a napkin. He sighed in annoyance and waited for her to catch her breath. "Are you finished?"

"That depends, do you want to tell me what the fuck you're on about?", she countered. Klaus took a deep breath and set down his drink, letting several moments pass before he began speaking.

"A month ago I had the pleasure of finding out that my beloved girlfriend was fucking the director of her first major motion picture behind my back. Had been for awhile actually, but I guess you could say she hid it well", he said stoically.

Caroline could tell it was all a facade to mask his heartbreak. After all, she'd gone through practically the same thing after Tyler's indiscretion. "What did you do?", Caroline asked, becoming angry in his place, "Better yet, why didn't you just expose her to the public?", she suggested, wondering how none of this had spread to the press.

"I threw her out of my home and haven't seen her since. As for an exposé, she would just deny it, and trust me Tatia can be quite the actress when she chooses." Klaus looked up at Caroline and she swore she detected the slightest hint of desperation in his voice before it disappeared completely. "Besides, I much prefer psychological warfare anyway." He swirled the ice around in his glass of Scotch, "I happen to know that she'll be there tomorrow night, director in tow. My bet is that she's already rehearsed how to tell the red carpet all about her poor broken heart", he spat.

Caroline couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. She nodded, "In that case I get commissioning a fake girlfriend to piss her off, but why wouldn't you just hire an escort or something?"

Klaus laughed mirthlessly, "Tatia might be an evil conniving bitch, but she's smarter than people give her credit for. She'd spot an escort from a mile away."

"But you think she'd believe me? We're not exactly Lucy and Ricky and it's not like I'm an actress. Well I mean I was in a few college productions, no major roles or anything but the university newspaper once said that my interpretation of-" Klaus shot her a death glare and she shut up instantly.

"Honestly Caroline I couldn't give less of a fuck", he snapped. "The reality of the situation is that you fit the bill. We work in the same field. You're not from London so you don't have too many mutual connections for her to interrogate. You're beautiful enough to threaten her but irrelevant enough that you won't raise much suspicion. Take the deal and I'll do your bloody fucking show, you can keep my commission too, just take the bloody deal!", he practically shouted at her.

She stood frozen, unsure whether to be flattered that he called her beautiful or insulted that he referred to her as irrelevant. However one thing was still clear, Caroline didn't like Klaus. She thought he was an entitled prick, and helping him should have been the least of her concerns. But if put in the same situation with Tyler, could she say she would act much differently?

Then there was her gallery to think of. While her opinion of the artist may have changed, she nevertheless believed his work could make for her best show to date. Still, she couldn't deny the one thing that stood in the way of her acceptance.

Caroline sighed, "I wish I could help Klaus. I really do, but I have a boyfriend back home. Not in Spain but back in New York, and if he found out", Caroline flinched thinking of her boyfriend's rage, "I'm sorry but I just can't." Klaus seemed to soften ever so slightly at her reaction but he maintained a steely exterior.

"Miss Forbes, is your boyfriend a frequent reader of the London Time's society section?", he asked her.

Caroline made a face as she tried to conjure a mental image of Tyler flipping through any newspaper that wasn't the Wall Street Journal and shook her head no.

"Then put that aside, and do what's right for your career."

Caroline didn't know what is was about his eyes, but no matter how hard she wanted to look away, no matter how strongly her gut instinct told her to leave, something about his eyes compelled her to listen.

She picked up her drink and gulped down what was left of it, slamming the glass on the bar and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. At least if all of this came back to bite her in the ass she could blame it on the alcohol.

"Just for the record, I still think you're an asshole."

At the realization that he had gotten what he wanted, Klaus' cocky demeanor returned with full force. He stood up, casually tossing a hundred pound note on the bar and preparing to leave. "A car will be round your hotel at 7. The driver will take you to venue and I suppose I can have one of my sister's stylists grab you a dress tomorrow afternoon-", he began before she swiftly cut him off.

"No", Caroline interrupted. Klaus turned around ready for another fight, but she simply looked him in the eye. "You can pick me up at 7, and I'm perfectly fine with my own dress. You hired a business partner not an escort, so don't treat me like one", she said confidently. "Oh and if you really want to knock her off her feet? Eat something, and shower. You look like you've spent the last month holed up in a dumpster, not like someone newly in love." Klaus simply nodded once more and left the bar, leaving Caroline to stand on the corner in search of an empty cab, wondering what the hell she had just agreed to.


	7. The Plan

"Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit!" Katherine screamed down the other end of the line. Caroline pulled the phone from her ear and scrunched up her face. Luckily the tea she had ordered from room service was decaffeinated, seeing as how she no longer needed a wake up call.

Caroline stepped out of her bathroom and wrapped her robe tightly around her body, heading out onto the balcony of her hotel room over looking the morning streets of central London. The English Breakfast Tea she had ordered was sitting in a small, Blue China cup by her side. By the time Caroline had arrived back after her meeting she was far too tired to deal with Katherine, and as she quickly realized by turning down the volume of her cell's speaker, she was right to postpone the call.

"You're working with Klaus Mikaelson Care, do you know what that means you lucky bitch?", Kat screeched again.

"That I need to figure how to get a Xanax prescription sent to the U.K.?", Caroline huffed.

"I'm serious Caroline Forbes! This is going to change everything. And the fact that you're the one breaking the news of his identity to the press? Something I still don't get by the way, I mean how has nobody figured out that this Nick guy is Klaus fucking Mikaelson?", she fired off rapidly.

Caroline shrugged and shoved her feet into a pair of complimentary hotel slippers. "I guess he just keeps everything very anonymous, like Banksy but with less spray paint and more of a god complex."

"Hmmmm", Kat sighed, "Mysterious...and hot".

"Kat!", Caroline scolded, "That is so not the point of this conversation."

"Okay okay, but you do realize what this means right? He said yes. The gallery is this close to becoming a household name. I mean maybe not back home but at least here in Europe. We have a real chance of building something here." After months of helping her best friend with the books, decor, staffing and more, Katherine referred to the gallery as a pet project of her own as well.

Caroline did of course realize her point, and although she wouldn't admit it, the possibility terrified her. She thought of Tyler and her friends in the States. In the back of her mind she always knew that no matter how much she loved it here, no matter how much she loved him, there was going to be a time when she would have to give it all up for her relationship. Whether it came when Tyler proposed or when they tried to raise a family, it was clear that her dreams would never be allowed to grow bigger than his own. Trying to reconcile that truth with the impending success of her business was too much for her to handle at the moment.

Caroline redirected the conversation back to the situation at hand, "I'm sorry Kat but did you miss the part where I told you he's a narcissistic psychopath who's blackmailing me into going on a date with him?"

Katherine scoffed. "Yeah because we all know there's no chance you'd ever be into a narcissistic psychopath", she said bitingly.

It wasn't a secret that her best friend detested Tyler, but it was another thing entirely to bear the brunt of her hatred. Sometimes the girl's brutal honesty was more of a curse than a blessing. When Caroline remained unresponsive Kat let out a sigh, "Care come on you know I didn't mean it like that-"

"Of course you did Kat, that's one of the consequences of not giving a fuck how your words affect others", Caroline replied with frustration.

"I'm sorry okay, but have you considered Tyler at all? What he's going to say when he finds out about your little date?"

Caroline had decided immediately that Tyler discovering the contract she had entered into was not a possibility. He had always been possessive, almost dangerously so, just another Lockwood family trait. And while he maintained that it was only out of love for her, it was a bitch to do deal with.

"He's not going to find out", Caroline snapped. Upon hearing the harshness of her own tone she softened her voice, "Tyler would never understand, you know that Kat. I mean you remember how pissed he got when I went to Matt Donovan's birthday without him last year. Things may have gotten better since I left but I don't want to rock the boat right before his visit. Besides, this is a business deal, nothing else."

"Do you think that's what every hooker tells herself right before a big job?", she joked in an attempt to restore some normality to their conversation. Luckily, Caroline had never managed to stay mad at the girl for very long.

"Katherine!", she reprimanded.

"I'm kidding I'm kidding!"

"Yeah well you're not funny", Caroline insisted even though a wide smile stretched across her face.

"Keep telling yourself that Forbes, and while you're at it ask Klaus if he can introduce me to his brother. You know it's always been on my bucket list to sleep with a rockstar."

Caroline shook her head. "Sorry Kat but I don't think either of us have enough money to cover the hospital bills that come along with banging Kol Mikaelson."

"Ugh gross. Well there's more than enough of them to go around. How many brothers does he have again?", Katherine asked. Caroline paused and racked her brain trying to think of the answer. She knew of Elijah and Kol for sure, and his sister of course, but beyond that she drew a blank.

"Care, please tell me you know how many siblings he has."

Caroline remained silent.

"Oh my god, do you know anything about this guy? Where he went to college? How old he is? His middle name?", Katherine asked incredulously. The truth was that in between all their bickering last night the only thing Caroline had managed to learn was that Klaus Mikaelson was a total dick.

"I know he drives a Bentley", she thought back to the car the valet had pulled around front the night before, "and he likes Scotch".

Katherine groaned audibly, "So let me get this straight. You're supposed to be this man's fake girlfriend, for the sake of tricking his ex-girlfriend, and you know absolutely nothing about him. Yeah hun because that's not a disaster waiting to happen."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Kat", Caroline said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Caroline heard a man's muffled voice in the background and Katherine yelled something back. "Care? I have to go they need me back on set, but I swear to god if you don't call me the second you get home tonight Klaus Mikaelson will be the least of your worries.

She assured her best friend that she would speak to her soon and ended the call. Caroline looked over the bustling morning traffic below and tried to unwind the tangled knot in her stomach. Kat was right after all, she knew nothing about Klaus and a small voice in the back of her head encouraged her to keep it that way, despite her curiosities. The imaginary angel perched on one of her shoulders was quick to remind her that learning about the inner workings of Klaus Mikaelson was irrelevant, and that in less than 24 hours he would be reduced to no more than just another client. The devil on the other hand thought differently, insisting that she could never do this role justice without a little exposition first.

Caroline's finger lingered over his name on her screen, locking and unlocking her phone several times in indecision. Finally, her intrigue got the better of her and she tapped his contact, holding the device up to her ear. The phone rang several times and she was convinced her call would go unanswered before she heard a familiar British accent on the other end.

"Hello?", Klaus drawled. His voice was raspy, as if he had just woken up.

"Klaus, hi um this is Caroline, Caroline Forbes, we met last night", Caroline realized what and idiot she sounded like, but she just couldn't bring herself to stop.

"Yes Caroline I remember", he mocked. "Was there something you needed? Or perhaps you just called in the hopes that I was an amnesiac who had forgotten all about our little deal." She bit her tongue and resisted the urge to lash out at him.

"As much as I wish that were the case Klaus, I called because we have a problem." Caroline heard the rustling of bed sheets and padded sound of feet hitting the floor.

"And what exactly would that be", he questioned, his voice a low growl.

"The whole goal of tonight is to convince Tatia that you've moved on right? That you're totally over her?" Klaus gave a small grunt of acknowledgement, urging Caroline to continue. "Well, that's all contingent on our relationship seeming real."

"And?", he waited impatiently. Caroline rolled her eyes at his complete lack of perception.

"And it has been brought to my attention that I know absolutely nothing about you, besides the fact that you're an intolerable human being. And that doesn't help our case much."

"What do you need to know Miss Forbes? Please, tell me how I can possibly make this experience easier for you." It was clear in Klaus' tone of voice that he thought she was being ridiculous. He simply intended to appease her and cut the call as short as possible, but Caroline had other ideas.

"Well now you put me on the spot", she whined. "I don't know, the basics. Tell me about your family, your hobbies, your birthday, etcétera etcétera- normal things you would ask if you were trying to get to know someone", she instructed.

"Love, don't take this the wrong way but I'm famous. All of the information your little heart desires is a mere google search away."

She rolled her eyes. "And what happens when I'm asked the one question not found on your Wikipedia page?"

"Well Caroline, forgive me for assuming you were competent enough to learn the basics and, as the Americans say, half arse the rest."

She was was offended to say the least. Caroline Forbes did not half-ass things. Caroline Forbes had not half-assed anything since the choice to attend Katherine's 3rd grade slumber party meant her indirect starvation eventual death of their class pet Mr. Rabbit. Half-assing didn't make you Head Cheerleader, or Miss Mystic Falls, or Valedictorian, it just made you pathetic. So no, Caroline Forbes would be half-assing nothing tonight.

"That just proves my point", she quipped.

"And what point would that be love?"

"That you don't know a damn thing about me either. I don't do anything half way Klaus, and especially not if it means embarrassing myself in front of a world famous supermodel." Caroline put the call on speakerphone and began to get dressed for the day, pulling on a trendy pair of rust-colored pleated trousers and a plain white tube top. She slipped her feet into a pair of studded gold sandals and snatched her phone off the bed, "Send me your location."

"Miss Forbes I have duties much more important than-"

"Send. Me. Your. Location. Now", she interrupted.

Klaus sneered, "You cannot be serious."

"Wanna bet?", she challenged.

That's why twenty minutes later, Caroline was en route to Klaus' apartment on the west end of the city. As the cabbie navigated the twists and turns of the narrow streets she took a small, leather bound notebook out of her bag and began to write down an agenda for the day. She could spare approximately 3 hours that afternoon to learn everything there was to know about Klaus Mikaelson, and just to spite him? She would do it in 2.5.


	8. The Interrogation

The second the door to the apartment swung open she barged inside, nodding quickly in greeting at the man gripping the doorknob.

"Klaus."

He stood to the side as she stormed past, still dressed in the distressed black t-shirt and pair of grey joggers he had slept in.

"Please, come in", he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The warmth of a London June followed her inside and she stripped off her leather jacket without inhibition. When the cool draft of the air conditioning hit her bare shoulders she felt a bit exposed, but in her state of profuse sweating she couldn't care less.

Caroline looked up from her phone, jacket in hand, searching for somewhere to hang it before doing a double take at the state of his apartment. Oddly, Klaus' loft didn't look a thing like she had imagined.

It's not like Caroline thought the place would be covered in easels and paint smatterings, with wayward acrylic-caked brushes strewn across every open surface. That being said, she hadn't expected it to seem so cold either, clinical even. His place looked like a show home in a real estate catalog, or an abandoned planet explored by NASA, no signs of life.

A large panel of windows on the far right wall shone plenty of sunlight into the cavernous space, but the loft was bare for the most part, devoid of all color. There was no furniture aside from 2 white leather couches, a lucite coffee table and an odd silver sculpture nearly the height of Caroline. Smooth marble surfaces adorned the kitchen and every appliance, from the fridge to the can opener, was coated in a smooth chrome finish. Walking further into the room Caroline was struck by the sudden urge to take her shoes off by the door and grab a surgical mask instead.

She was sure whatever decorator had been hired to curate the space would call it a pinnacle of modern design, but to Caroline it just looked like an underwhelming spacecraft.

"Your place is uh...charming," she mused, taking a seat on one of the pristine couches.

"For someone who credits themselves a good actress you're a poor liar Caroline Forbes", he scoffed, walking into the kitchen and pouring himself a glass of Bourbon. "But if you must know, one month in this apartment costs more than you make in an entire year."

She ignored his dig at her less than comparable salary and stared at him as he took a sip of his drink. "Bit early for dark liquor don't you think?"

"You're right", he agreed, raising his glass in her direction, "I should have gone for gin instead."

Despite the fact that a small part of her wanted to smile at his joke, Caroline clenched her jaw and crossed her legs, pulling the small leather notepad out of her bag and into her lap.

"Oh look, she's brought a list", he called out to nobody in particular, "of course she bloody has."

She casually flipped her middle finger at him and used her other hand to turn to the page she had been working on in the car.

"So", she initiated, "Let's start with your family."

"What about my family?", he asked with suspicion.

"Well for starters, how many of you are there exactly?"

He stared at her dumbfounded, and after the realization that Caroline Forbes would not in fact leave his flat until she conducted her little interrogation, Klaus surrendered. He sighed and took a seat opposite from her, shaking his head. He cleared the morning rasp from his throat and went to open his mouth before she cut him off.

"Um in chronological order please, just for organizational purposes."

Klaus rolled his eyes and began, "The eldest is Finn. He's competent enough, but an absolute bore to everyone he knows aside from his wife, Sage. You've met Elijah already, the golden son of the family. I suppose I'm closest with him, when he's not being a self-righteous prick that is." Klaus paused every few seconds so she could take notes, trying to hold back a small grin at the sight of her hunched over in concentration. When she finished a line she would look up at him in silent confirmation that he could go on now.

"Kol is next, he's always been a bit of a wild child."

Caroline let a snort of disbelief. Yeah, she thought, wild is one way to describe him. Klaus took notice of her reaction.

"Don't do that", he lashed out suddenly. "Do that and you're no better than any uni grad or pap who calls themselves a journalist. He's not a bad kid Caroline. Even if he was, you don't know a damn thing about him", he snapped.

She felt a sharp pang of guilt, "I'm sorry I didn't mean-", her mouth went dry and she tried to swallow.

"It's alright", Klaus interrupted, "It's just...I remember what it was like at his age. He's had some trouble sure, but he's more capable than he wants the world to believe."

Caroline nodded in understanding, waiting in silence for several seconds before speaking again.

"Then there's your sister right?"

Klaus anger dissolved slightly, "How could anyone forget about Rebekah? I suppose growing up in a home full of boys forces one to command attention, but she manages it on another level." Caroline noticed a slight twinkle in his eye when he spoke of his little sister.

"So there's five of you?"

Klaus shook his head.

"Henrik is the youngest, still away at school and everything. He's been blessed with my talent and Elijah's penchant for self-discipline, that's to say he'll be smarter than the lot of us in a few years."

Caroline was surprised. Listening to Klaus speak about his siblings was the first time she didn't find him completely unbearable, and the little voice in the back of her head was quick to remind her that she was approaching uncharted waters. However this was not the first time Caroline's inquisitiveness would get the better of her.

"And how exactly are you going to explain this to them? The fake relationship I mean."

He nodded his head as if he accepted this as the only reasonable question she had asked thus far. "Luckily only two of my siblings will be in attendance tonight. Rebekah will, no offense, assume you are a one night stand selected to cure me of my heartbreak. That is, if she takes a moment away from fraternizing with the upper echelon to even notice. Besides, she's always hated Tatia so there's a much higher chance of their interaction resulting in a joint homicide before we're ever outed. As for Elijah, we've already spoken about the arrangement. He's fine with it."

Klaus leaned against the backrest of his seat and kicked his feet up, intertwining his fingers and placing them behind his head, the muscles of his biceps flexing in the process. Caroline decided that this was by far her favorite version of Klaus. Perhaps not drunk in the early morning hours, but calm, relaxed. He closed his eyes and the sunlight streaming through the window warmed his face. The bags under his eyes had faded as a result of a proper night's sleep, and despite his callous demeanor, there was a certain serenity about him.

"Elijah's coming? What did you tell him?", she questioned.

Klaus' eyes remained unopened.

"I informed him of my plan, he advised against petty revenge, I advised against his advice, he gave his classic 'You cannot run from your demons forever brother' speech, and I told him I would speak to him later."

Caroline pinched her lips together, "That's him being fine with it?"

He took a deep breath, the broadness of his chest pushing against the thin cotton of his t-shirt. Caroline willed herself to look away, her chest flushing red with embarrassment.

"That's as close as Elijah gets to being fine with anything involving the smallest of moral bankruptcies." There was a finality in his voice indicating the he was done with the topic, "What's next on your agenda?"

Caroline tore her eyes from his face once again and glanced down at the sheet in front of her.

"Education and Interests," she read, clearing her throat.

"If this is how all of your first dates go Caroline you should consider yourself fortunate you're not single."

It was a joke of course but he wasn't wrong, Caroline Forbes had never been the best at boyfriends. As a peppy blonde cheerleader, luring the boys in was never the problem, keeping them was a whole other story.

Looking back at her entire dating history, it appeared Caroline could do nothing right. She was either too clingy or too detached, too doting or too self-involved. It began with Matt Donovan in the 10th grade and over time came to include the likes of Jesse, Damon, and many more on the list of unsuccessful relationships. Tyler was the only guy who had stuck around long enough to make her feel like she was worth something, even if he failed to show it at times. At this point moving away from the subject of her love life was second nature.

"I'm counting my lucky stars as we speak Klaus. So, Oxford or Cambridge?", she continued her questioning.

He took her cue, "the Sorbonne actually."

She scribbled down the detail, "So you speak French?"

"Not as well as I used to."

The game became sort of rapid-fire.

"Birthday?"

"July 17th"

"Year?"

'990 AD"

It wasn't until after she realized the date she had written down that she looked up at him in annoyance, "Seriously?"

"I'm 27"

She quizzed him on a few more basics: allergies, medical history, age of his first kiss, if his hair color was natural, etc.

At some point he brought her a cup of tea. Caroline took a sip as she looked down at the final category on her list.

"Hobbies? Likes? Dislikes? I'm assuming you love the color white", she said in reference to the walls.

"My favorite genre of music is rock, the British variety obviously. The Stones, The Who, The Clash...you get the picture. My favorite city is Vienna. I love a proper bottle of whiskey and I like it even more before 10 am. Oh, and I once received a medal for archery in third year if you'd like to jot that down too. Dislikes include nosey blondes who have an affinity for assumptions", he said giving her a pointed look. "If you must know Tatia designed the flat, she insisted it looked classier without all the...well everything really."

"Did you have any say at all?"

"I got to keep my art studio upstairs", he shrugged.

Caroline had used up her allotment of courage for the day but had she anymore, she would have begged to see a glimpse of that room. Klaus continued, "She despised the location so design privilege was the least I could give."

Caroline made a face and swept her hand towards the row of windows lining the wall, gesturing at the grandeur of the building.

"Despised the location? It's the west end. There's like a world famous theater literally a block down from here."

The picture he painted of Tatia was not a good one, and he was supposed to be the one in love with her. If these were her good traits Caroline could hardly fathom what a massive bitch she must be in person.

He smirked. "I know love, who did you think picked it? But according to her, the rich live in Chelsea. Leave the rest to the masses."

Caroline put on her poshest British accent, "Ahhhhhh", Caroline sounded in mock understanding, "of course, I see it now. How could you subject her to living in such squalor? You're sadistic."

One of his dimples made an appearance.

"I know, but please do try and convince her that I am an angel walking amongst men tonight."

She mimicked the lazy drawl of Klaus' voice, "Please do understand you leave me with an impossible task."

He looked at her quite seriously for a moment, as if he were a prize fighter sizing her up before a match.

"Are you sure you can handle this Caroline? If Tatia is a shark you are going to be blood in the water."

She considered his challenge, thinking back to her own relationship once again. What if she hadn't taken Tyler back? What if in a year, or two years, or whenever her presence was requested at the next Mystic Falls class of 2013 wedding she saw him there with her? Caroline's heart sped up at the thought.

She stood and headed for the door, slipping her closed her notebook back into her purse. He was giving her the out she asked for. She owed him nothing and yet-

"Klaus, the biggest bitch I've ever met is my best friend, and if she's taught me anything? It's how to play dirty."

He didn't answer right away, and she didn't turn back either.

Finally, Caroline heard his voice from behind her.

"See you at seven then?"

"See you at seven."


	9. The Gala

She braced the marble sink of her hotel bathroom with both hands, leaning forward towards the mirror and inspecting her appearance for the tenth time. Her skin appeared smooth and poreless, a subtle golden glow brushed over her cheekbones. Her eyes were smoked out with a variety of sparkling bronze pigments, eyebrows groomed and filled, lashes full and black. Her lips were lined painted a rosy nude, making them appear full and glossy.

Caroline loved doing her hair and makeup. It made her feel like she was seven again, tying her hair up into elaborate ponytails and searching through her mom's bathroom for Liz's single tube of pink lipstick. She was so busy these days that she mostly reserved her glamorous looks for gallery showings or visits with Tyler, maintaining a simple everyday routine of tinted moisturizer and mascara. Tonight's break for routine felt liberating, like she was somebody else completely, someone poised and modelesque.

Caroline rarely felt confident when it came to her appearance. It was hard to when she spent her time surrounded by beautiful women like Katherine, Bonnie, Elena, and Lexi. There were occasions however, where she barely recognized the girl she knew to be herself.

Looking at herself in the smooth reflective surface, this was one of those moments. Her hair looked like spun strands of gold thread, fashioned into loose waves that fell beneath her shoulders.

The dress was even more stunning than she recalled. Caroline spun around several times in the mirror, giggling like a small child and checking to ensure there were no unforeseen wardrobe malfunctions. She kept her jewelry simple for balance, opting to wear a thin single silver bangle on her wrist and a pair small diamond studs.

Caroline checked the clock once again.

6:54

She slipped on her heels and reached for her small beaded clutch, double checking she had her key card and heading towards the elevators. Caroline had barely taken one step into the lobby before her phone buzzed, a text from Klaus indicating that he was parked out front.

His black matte Bentley was idling next to the curb and upon noticing her approach in his rear view mirror, he reached over the passenger's seat and opened the door. Caroline climbed inside and looked over at Klaus, stifling a laugh at the appearance of him in an all white tuxedo.

"You look ridiculous, like a really really bad prom date", she covered her mouth to hide her smile.

Klaus smirked before looking over at Caroline.

He shifted in his seat and gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on his forearms protruding against his skin. Klaus swallowed, his eyes tracing a path down her body. He admired the way her dress dipped low in the center of her chest, the silk material flowing like water over her breasts and clinging tightly to her hips.

Caroline felt as if she had spent an eon under his gaze before he found his voice again.

"Then I should consider myself lucky everyone's eyes will be on you".

It wasn't until the words slipped from his mouth that he realized the weight they held on his tongue. Caroline's eyes widened, the shift in the air palpable.

It was as if in all Klaus' speak about being a god he had become one, one with the ability to was tiptoe across water, rippling the smooth surface, blurring the lines in his wake. The stark black boundry that had always existed between them now looked fuzzy.

Her face grew hot and she clamored for the switch that rolled down her window, welcoming the cool night air into the car.

They sat in silence for another few minutes or so, her eyes fixed on the street outside as they sped past sidewalks. Klaus pushed harder on the gas, causing the bystanders in her vision to smudge together, the world around her sliding in and out of focus like she was looking through the lens of a camera.

Caroline was convinced that at some point while driving through the haze of London's dusk covered street lamps and brick, they had entered some parallel universe where she felt more comfortable sitting in silence with Klaus than she had felt in the last 2 years.

It felt as if they had been driving for hours.

Finally he spoke, his voice drawing her from her trance and coaxing her back into the land of the living. She snapped her head in his direction.

"Huh?"

He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"I said I should best inform you that your friends the Salvatore brothers don't like me very much."

She smirked despite herself. It was too easy to fall back into their routine.

"First of all, I am friends with a Salvatore brother as in singular. Secondly, most people don't. What did you do?"

"Why do we assume it was I who did something?"

Caroline gave him a knowing look, "It's always you Klaus."

Klaus sighed and she took it as an admittance of guilt.

"It's idiotic really. Stefan and I were close for a period of time in our youth. He followed in my footsteps in many ways, not all of them good. One night we did something incredibly stupid. I ran off and he got caught, wound up spending the night in a cell and his best mate left him there with nobody to bail him out. He's hated me every since."

Caroline tried to think back to any time Stefan had ever mentioned a friend from home named Klaus. Klaus...Mikaelson...Niklaus...Nick...Caroline's demeanor changed and she paled visibly.

"Oh my god, you're that Nick."

It seemed as though Klaus had greatly underestimated the depth of the pair's relationship. His knuckles went white on the steering wheel.

"What do you know about that night Caroline?"

"He's only ever talked to me about it when he's blacked out but I know enough", she spat.

"Caroline the man I was then, the kid I was then, he didn't under-"

"Do you know what that did to him Klaus?", she cut him off, "To his family? They could have lost everything because you were a coward."

"You shouldn't make accusations without all of the details", he growled, his voice dark and menacing.

She looked back at him, waiting for him to meet her eyes.

"Did you ever even apologize to him?"

He remained silent.

"Did you ever-"

"Yes Caroline! Yes for fuck's sake yes!", he barked. "I have apologized to Stefan Salvatore a million times over the past six years. He doesn't want to hear it and I can't fucking blame the bloody kid can I? He wasn't the only one who lost a mate that night. He was supposed to stay here, we were supposed to go to uni and everything, but after that night he ran off to bloody America and refused to ever fucking speak to me again so yes Caroline, yes I have tried to apologize but at the end of the day we both fucked up, and there were consequences Stefan Salvatore could afford that I just couldn't okay?"

Caroline realized that at some point he had pulled the car over, his chest heaving rapidly.

She clamped her lips shut and looked at the man in front of her. He was right. She didn't have all the details, only drunken ramblings from Stefan. She had asked him once while intoxicated why he didn't talk about any of his friends from back home and he had slurred out a forbidden story of how his best mate, a guy who used to think of as a brother, tried to ruin his life.

Caroline didn't know what consequences Klaus was talking about. It couldn't have been an arrest. With enough money and a good lawyer his record would be squeaky clean in no time, it had happened to Kol plenty of times. What she did know was that for a man who seemed unafraid of absolutely everything, the look in his eye was one of pure unadulterated terror.

Instinctually she leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I just...you're right I don't have all the details."

The youngest Salvatore was not a vindictive man, if she didn't know his side of the story she assumed Stefan didn't either.

"Does Stef?"

His chest slowed as his breathing returned to normal, but her hand remained where it was.

"There were certain aspects, circumstances of my teenage years that Stefan has no knowledge of. I prefer to keep it that way", his tone was closed off, in total juxtaposition of his earlier emotional display.

"Klaus if there was a reason you did what you did Stefan deserves to-"

"Caroline", he cut her off, "Please let this one go. We were boys, the past cannot be changed so please, just pretend this conversation never happened."

His eyes pleaded with her and she nodded accordingly, withdrawing her hand from his collar. Seemingly satisfied, Klaus pulled back out on to the road.

Caroline may have agreed to drop the conversation for now, but her mind continued to buzz with questions.

She realized that every minute spent in Klaus' presence was another shovelful of dirt hollowed out from the grave she was digging herself, but she just couldn't stop. While her conscious tried its hardest to maintain distance, a semblance of professionalism, there was an undeniable yearning in her to push further.

Caroline knew she had no right of access to the inner workings and past of Klaus Mikaelson, but this was the first time she had ever seen the smallest of cracks appear in the concrete wall of his psyche. He was like a test, and every time she began to think she passed, a new trial appeared tempting her with promises of forbidden knowledge.

Maybe she wouldn't find the answers she needed at the gala, but there was plenty of time in the next two weeks for Stefan to give her the full version of that night's events.

Caroline pressed an imaginary reset button in the back of her mind, resolving to forget any discussion of Klaus' past and press the Salvatore brother for more information at their brunch date tomorrow.

A few minutes later Klaus pulled his car up to the curb of the extravagant Shangri-La hotel tossing his keys towards the valet and circling his car to open her door. Klaus looked down at her before extending his arm in her direction.

"Ready?", he mouthed.

With every click of a camera shutter that sounded in the distance Caroline's heart sped up a little more. Every fiber of her being screamed no, her body begging her to sink back into the soft leather seats of the car.

Instead she responded by plastering a broad smile across her face and reaching for his arm, clutching it as if her life depended on it. Klaus guided her from the car, leading her across a narrow red carpet laid out against the the side of the hotel entrance.

Some familiar faces strode across the carpet, pausing every few minutes to pose, a few answering questions from a swarm of reporters clutching microphones next to the entrance. Many invitees crossed the path with ease, stopping once for a quick picture and quickly making their way inside the gala. However some guests incurred more fanfare, distant royals and up-and-coming actors expertly modeling through the deafening sound of the paparazzi's shouts.

"Please tell me there's a secret side entrance here that nobody knows about", she tugged lightly on the sleeve of Klaus' jacket and looked up at him nervously.

He furrowed his eyebrows apologetically.

"I can go first if you'd like, it might take some of the heat off", he suggested. Caroline gave him a small nod and he strode forward with the confidence of a seasoned pro.

The second he stepped in front of them the photographers went wild.

"KLAUS! WHO DESIGNED YOUR SUIT?"

"LOOK OVER HERE!"

"MR. MIKAELSON ARE THE STORIES ABOUT YOUR BROTHER'S ARREST THIS WEEK TRUE?"

"TURN!"

"ARE YOU PLANNING ON PRESENTING THE MIKAELSON DONATION TO THE SALVATORE FOUNDATION TONIGHT?"

"KLAUS LOOK HERE!"

"IS IT TRUE YOU AND TATIA ARE OVER?"

"WAS THE BREAKUP MUTUAL?"

"KLAUS WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE RUMORS REGARDING THE DIRECTOR OF HER NEW MOVIE?"

Caroline now understood how Klaus had come to earn his mysterious and enigmatic reputation. No matter how many questions they threw at him, no matter how outrageous their claims, Klaus remained completely silent. He would pose and pivot as directed but refused to even give so much as a "no comment".

Klaus looked in Caroline's direction, his eyes a silent invitation to join him. She mustered up every ounce of courage she had inherited as the daughter of a town sheriff and walked to meet him, feeling an odd sense of security when she felt his arm wind around her, the warmth of his palm resting on the exposed middle of her back.

Caroline was sure he could feel the goosebumps making their way up her spine because he leaned down towards her ear.

"You're fine Love, just smile and ignore them".

She nodded and let him pull her in closer, beaming at the photographers as they narrowed their eyes, scrutinizing the newcomer. There was a moment of silence and confusion on their part before the feeding frenzy began once again.

"KLAUS IS THIS YOUR NEW GIRLFRIEND?"

"WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"

"WHO ARE YOU WEARING?"

"HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?"

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER?"

She could feel Klaus stiffen in annoyance. While the questions directed at him had no effect, he seemed more guarded on her behalf.

"Thank you gentlemen", he nodded once towards the photographers before grabbing her hand and leading her through the glass doors of the hotel.

Once inside she gasped and let a series of deep breaths overtake her body.

"I'm sorry", he began, "the press at these events can be..."

"Intrusive?", she asked.

"Psychotic", he stated.

His hand returned to the comfortable crevice of her back and he led her inside the venue's ball room.

Caroline had to give it to Lexi on this one. She may not have been in love with the dress code but the event itself was gorgeous.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and white tables were adorned with glass vases holding silver painted roses. In the center of the room was a large, black dance floor where hundreds of high society guests mingled with glasses of champagne. The walls were made to look like the lush fern walls of a garden, giving Caroline the illusion of a wintery labyrinth. Lexi had managed to completely transform the ballroom into a some magical summer ice palace.

Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Why does it feel as though I've just stepped through the wardrobe into Narnia?"

Caroline stifled a laugh and smacked him on the arm.

"It's beautiful. Go get a drink if you're going to be an insufferable brat the whole night."

"Gladly", Klaus gave her a slight bow before walking off in the direction of the bar.

Caroline had always attended these events on her own but suddenly, standing there alone, she felt like a small fish in a very large, expensive pond.

She decided to try and find some of her friends, resolving to let Klaus hunt her down on his own once he was finished at the bar.

Just as she began to breach the crowd of people gathered on the dance floor she heard a voice call out from behind her.

"Care Bear!"

Caroline grinned instinctively and turned around.

"Stef!", she cried, lunging at her best friend and wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled back, resting her hands on his shoulders and examining his face. He hadn't changed much in the two months since she'd seen him last, the only noticeable difference a slight tan and a few fine highlights courtesy of the summer sun.

"Care you look amazing!", he widened his eyes and examined her dress. "Any reason in particular?", he raised his eyebrows and wiggled them in question.

She rolled her eyes, Stefan was even less subtle than Lexi in the constant questioning of her relationship. Try as she might to persuade him, Tyler had never believed Caroline's insistence that Stefan wanted nothing more from her than friendship. The relationship between the two men remained rocky to this day.

"I believe the reason you're looking for is still back home in New York, but please do smack your cousin tonight for providing me the rationale behind spending 400 pounds on a dress."

He gave her a look of disbelief.

"You spent 400 pounds on a dress because you have a severe shopping addiction, even Lexi can't fix that."

It was then that Caroline noticed the girl standing quietly at Stefan's side.

"Elena! How are you? You look amazing!", she exclaimed with a bit too much enthusiasm.

Caroline never got the feeling that Elena didn't like her. I mean she was pretty sure Elena didn't dislike anyone, it would conflict too much with the sugar and spice and everything nice running through her freaking veins. However, she knew her friendship with Katherine meant the other girl could never be too sure of her loyalties, and for Stefan's sake she tried her best to prove to Elena that she was rooting for them.

While Kat and Elena may have looked alike, that was where the similarities stopped. Elena wore her hair pin straight and chose a soft lace dress, fairly plain and landing right above the floor. She tried not to laugh at the comment Kat would make about it looking like a hospital gown for hippies.

"Thanks Caroline", the girl smiled politely, "you look nice too. Are you enjoying London so far? Did you come alone?"

It was a subtle inquiry as to whether a certain raven-haired blast from the Salvatore's past was with her, but Caroline picked up on it. Unless Caroline could manage the next two hours dodging her best friend at every turn, he would need to find out about her date at some point. So she took a breath and braced herself for Stefan's reaction.

"Kat- I mean- my roommate is joining me next week for a holiday but I'm actual here tonight with-"

Caroline felt the rough material of a suit jacket brush against her arm.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I got you a gin and tonic", Klaus' deep British timbre sounded next to her, placing a cold glass in her hand. She didn't look, but Caroline was willing to bet her rent money for the next six months that he was sporting that stupid cocky grin on his face.

It took every ounce of will power for her to not smash the glass over his head.

First he begs her to forget everything she's learned about his and Stefan's relationship, and then he can't bring himself to wait ten minutes for her to deescalate the situation. Klaus Mikaelson had the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. Caroline clutched the drink so tightly she thought it might shatter in her hand.

Stefan's eyes darkened and his smile fell into a straight line.

"Niklaus, I'm surprised to see you here", he snarled.

Klaus shrugged.

"You know how it is with us Mikaelsons. We're like a bad package deal. Sometimes you get one, sometimes you get six, you never really know with us."

Stefan gave him a cruel smile.

"Well you were invited of course, I just assumed since I heard Tatia dumped you that you wouldn't be in attendance tonight."

Caroline felt Klaus stiffen next to her and heard the sound of his glass clinking on a nearby table. She suddenly became severely concerned about the state of Stefan's jaw in the next ten seconds.

"Stop it, both of you", she snapped.

Stefan looked down at her before glancing at the drink that had appeared in her hand moments before, piecing together the situation in front of him. While Stefan may not have realized Caroline's knowledge of their relationship extended so far, he looked livid all the same.

"You're here with him?", he spat.

Poor Elena looked too confused to function. Caroline could tell she mistook Stefan's outburst as coming from a place of jealousy.

"Stefan", she began cautiously.

"Caroline", he answered demandingly.

"Klaus", Nik drawled.

He looked in between the two friends currently facing off in a staring competition.

"Nothing? Well, if the name game is over, I spot Elijah across the room. Please do come find me when your done with your little sibling spat will you Love?"

He didn't wait for an answer before sauntering away from the now trio.

Stefan wasted no time in berating her.

"Caroline why in the world are you- No you know what? I'm not going to even ask how you met because it's not the point", Stefan said with exasperation, running his fingers through his hair like a distressed father. "Nick is not a good guy Care. In fact, he is objectively the worst guy."

"The worst guy?", Caroline scoffed at the childishness of his insult.

"Yes, the worst guy. In the UK, in Europe, in the world, in the whole fucking galaxy Care!", he insisted.

"Stefan if you would like to stop lecturing me for just a second I would love to explain to you that-"

"I mean god Care first you tell me that you and Tyler are still together, which is a pill enough by the way, and now you're here with him. Care I don't know what's going on with you but Niklaus Mikaelson is a vile, narcissistic, manipulative, psychopathic-"

"Stefan!", she attempted to interrupt him again but he rambled on.

Tuning out the rumbling hum of Stefan's voice Caroline felt a pair of eyes land on her.

She turned her head to the side and scanned the room for a moment before finding the responsible offendor.

She was gorgeous, and unmistakable. Her sleeveless dress was made from skin-tight white leather that clung to her body and stopped in a turtleneck right below her chiseled chin. She had smooth olive skin and short black hair cut into a jagged, almost black bob. What should have been unassuming brown eyes were like a raging sandstorm darkened by the night.

Tatia was captivating, and staring into her eyes Caroline imagined that perhaps she hypnotized her prey first before tearing them to shreds.

She tore her eyes away from her gaze and looked back at her best friend, silencing him once and for all.

"Stefan Giuseppe Salvatore! Whatever ideas you have about me and Klaus are wrong! I swear that all of this will be explained to you tomorrow at brunch with Lex but until then I just need you to trust me, and for the love of god please shut the fuck up!"

She reached up and hugged him once more.

"I have to go but Elena it was great seeing you. We really should do dinner some time this week", the girl nodded meekly, still confused by the inexplicable scene in front of her. "And Stefan, I will see you and explain everything tomorrow I promise", she vowed before turning and leaving in the direction Klaus had stalked off.

He was leaning against the wall speaking to Elijah in hushed tones when Caroline approached from behind and punched him in the arm.

"Dickhead!", she whisper-shouted.

Klaus jumped at the contact and rubbed his bicep.

"What was that for Love?", he asked with annoyance.

"You know us Mikaelsons", she parroted, imitating his stupid British accent and causing Klaus to grin.

Elijah turned towards Caroline and stuck his hand out.

"Miss Forbes, pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

Caroline looked up and froze in his presence. Her face turned a deep shade of red upon realizing what an idiot she seemed like. She immediately grasped his hand and looked down at the ground to conceal her embarrassment.

"Elijah! Hi- um- nice to meet you too, officially I mean, because we've spoken on the phone already, but you knew that because you were there, well not there there but on the phone there-"

Klaus noticed the instantaneous change in her demeanor at the hand of his older brother.

"Damn it Elijah", he interjected, "must you suck the fun out of literally everything tangible thing you come in contact with. What an injustice it is! You're like Midas if everything he touched turned to despair and monotony."

Elijah looked up at his younger brother with aggravation.

"Charming Niklaus", he chided before looking back down at Caroline, "Miss Forbes I must be going but it was a pleasure to meet you, officially of course."

He let go of her hand and retreated back into the crowd of people. She turned to Klaus and punched him again for furthering her humiliation.

"Had enough of the Salvatores for one night?", he asked cheekily.

"More like I had enough of your ex-girlfriend trying to light me on fire with her eyes from across the room!"

Caroline tossed her head backwards indicating Tatia's presence near the dance floor.

Klaus' eyes narrowed at the figure in the distance and he reached for her hand. She was about to yank it back when he whispered something under his breath.

"Get ready Caroline Forbes. Something wicked this way comes."

The sound of heels clacking behind her grew louder and she turned around, pressing her body close to Klaus'.

"Nick", Tatia said as she approached the pair, "fancy seeing you here."

The first thing Caroline noticed about the model was her voice. It was lower that she imagined, breathier (but that may have been from the turtleneck cutting off her airways). Her accent was unplaceable, like an elegant mix of russian, german, and English that flowed together against all odds.

The woman then turned towards Caroline and placed a hand delicately in her own.

"I'm Tatia, Tatia Dumitrescu...and you are?"

"Caroline, Caroline Forbes", she smiled with faux poilteness.

Klaus wrapped his arm around her protectively and looked at Tatia before responding, "Yes well, galas were never really my thing but the Salvatore brothers are good friends of Caroline's. I suppose you could say I made an exception."

Tatia raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"And you are a good friend of Klaus'?", she stuck her nose out at Caroline.

Klaus let out a short laugh as if the prospect of them being friends was preposterous, and in a way, it was.

"Not exactly. Tatia, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Caroline."

There was an inexplicable familiarness to those words that Caroline couldn't quite understand.

Tatia's eyes widened ever so slightly, and if Caroline hadn't been inspecting the girl like a hawk she would have missed it.

"Girlfriend? Really? I didn't think Klaus had been to America in years", she stated taking note of Caroline's accent.

"He hasn't, not since Henrik switched to Eton last year", she pulled from the myriad of facts she had scribbled down earlier. "I actually own an art gallery in Barcelona, and the art world's pretty small you know? One thing led to another and..."

"And you managed to sink your claws into the infamous Niklaus Mikaelson", she finished in Caroline's place, "What a coincidence."

Caroline could see Tatia squaring her up, analyzing her as if she was a strange, unreadable code.

It would, after all, make sense if Klaus had shown up with some young Victoria's Secret model fresh off a plane from Sao Paulo, but Caroline was unexpected, nothing like his usual type. It left the other girl both angered and mystified. She wanted to play, and Caroline was ready.

Caroline handed her half empty gin and tonic to Klaus and looked up at him adoringly.

"Babe, can you go grab me another drink?"

A quick look of confusion passed over his face before returning to normal. He looked torn, obviously worried about leaving her alone in the lion's den. His indecision was noticeable.

"Nick It's fine, I don't bite. At least...not anymore," Tatia said with a wink and Cheshire-like smile.

Klaus gave her another cautious look before sauntering away, allowing her to turn the attention towards Caroline.

"So Miss Forbes, no relation to the company I assume. Where is that charming little accent of yours from?"

Caroline was slightly offended. She may be from Mystic Falls but she didn't exactly walk around screaming "Hey y'all!" at every person she met. She concealed her insult and soldiered on.

"Well I lived in the states until almost a year ago. Virginia more specifically, I went to college there with Stefan and his brother."

Tatia nodded as if the answer satisfied her enough.

"And yourself?", Caroline inquired.

"Well, I was born in Romania but moved to Austria when I was ten. My career is based in London at the moment but I'm in extremely high demand, so I go where the contract takes me. The woes of being a supermodel I suppose", she sighed with exasperation and tossed her hair over her shoulder with a flick.

A lightbulb appeared above Caroline's head as she thought back to the morning she spent in Klaus' apartment. Caroline plastered a look of mock surprise across her face and slapped her hand on her thigh in disbelief.

"You're from Austria? That is just such a coincidence! Klaus is always telling me that Vienna is his favorite city in the world. He's actually planning a trip there later this year for the two of us. You have to tell me all the best places to go", she implored.

A look of silent rage flashed quickly across Tatia's features before dissolving.

Caroline knew the minute the woman mentioned her childhood years in Austria that she was no doubt the person who had exposed Klaus to the wonders of its capital city. Surely Tatia believed he would never share such an intimate memory with another woman, let alone promise to take her there. The imaginary Katherine on Caroline's shoulder did a victory dance.

Tatia masked her fury like an expert.

"Is he now?", she asked rhetorically, "I'm not sure Nick would be comfortable with that Caroline I mean, I don't know if you know, but he and I actually used to be in relationship", she mentioned casually, clearly hoping to throw her for a loop.

Caroline simply nodded, keeping her plastered smile fixed where it was.

"Oh no I know, but it's no big deal. If I wanted to spend my whole life with a man that didn't have exes I'd be looking forever."

The look of phony pity dropped from Tatia's face but Caroline pressed on, "Klaus and I are really open about all of our past relationships. It's refreshing you know? I mean it's so uncommon to find a man who's so open and honest these days, but he's just like an open book."

Caroline was lying through her teeth and from the obvious look of hurt on Tatia's face, the other girl was eating it up. However, in a quick second her pained expression was replaced by one of fashionable apathy.

"Completely", Tatia nodded, "My current boyfriend is the same way", she declared. "I would introduce you but he's somewhere around here scouting this actress for his next production. He's a pretty big film director back in America."

If Tatia was trying to keep her braggadocio subtle it wasn't working, and Caroline was almost ready to inform her that she had in fact already seen her director boyfriend tonight, flirting shamelessly with some nineteen year-old actress by the Gala bar. However, she simply curved her mouth up into a cool smirk.

"Oh yeah", she said knowingly, "Klaus told me all about you and the director."

The color drained from Tatia's face.

"Excuse me?", she said icily.

Caroline put her hands up as a sign of mock surrender.

"Oh don't worry I'm not bitter about it or anything", her voice dripped like honey and she leaned forward as if she had a secret to tell. "After all, if you hadn't done such a model job of fucking things up, he wouldn't be mine."

Caroline's sweet smile of innocence transformed into one of twisted pride and she grabbed her clutch from the nearest table, spotting her date over Tatia's shoulder.

Tatia glanced backward at the man approaching and wiped the look of intense anger from her face, turning back towards Caroline and preparing to present herself to Klaus.

"I did so enjoy chatting with you Ms. Forbes", Tatia seethed while Klaus was still too far to hear, "we really should do speak again sometime. It's always fun to meet the rebound isn't it?"

"Mhmmm", Caroline hummed in response, "almost as fun as it is to meet all the mistakes that came before you."

Tatia gave her one last look of spitefulness before dropping her voice to a low whisper, "Why do you think Niklaus likes you Caroline? Because you're cute? Sweet? Clean?", she hissed, "No. He likes you because he thinks you're different, so different from the perfect girl who broke his heart. But do you know what Caroline Forbes? You're nothing special. Not that smart and certainly not that pretty.

Tatia's ears turned a warm shade of pink as her rage grew.

"He will grow bored of your innocence, of your virtue. And when he does? He'll come running back to the only woman he's ever truly loved."

Before Caroline could respond Klaus approached and handed her a new drink, resting his his hand on her shoulder.

"Do I dare ask what you ladies are talking about?"

Caroline took a sip of her drink and held her stare evenly.

"Tatia was just telling me about this race she's training for. I think they're kind of pointless really, don't you? I mean, who wants to do all that work when they know they're just going to lose?", she inquired with a tilt of her head.

Klaus gave her a questioning look before reaching for Caroline's hand and breaking the trance between the two women.

"I'm sure you'll do well as always Tatia, but if you don't mind I must steal Caroline away. Alexia Branson is on the hunt for her and I'd like to show off my girlfriend before she gets her hands on her."

He led her away and let out a soft chuckle at the feel of her rigid body beneath his hands.

"So I take it things went well. Hair appointments next week? Manicures?", he asked sarcastically.

"I hate her", Caroline spat.

Klaus' face remained unchanged as if her information was a given.

"Get in the queue Love."

"The what?"

Klaus rolled his eyes.

"The line."

"I mean seriously Klaus how did you put up with that for an entire year", Caroline said before stopping suddenly and facing him, putting on a flirty smile and reaching up for the collar of his jacket.

He leaned backwards away from her contact and sneered reflexively.

"What are you doing?"

She sighed, keeping her smile poised and speaking through gritted teeth.

"I'm fielding death glares from your ex and adoringly fixing your lapel, now maybe try not to look at me like I'm giving you a colonoscopy." Her joke earned a breathy chuckle from Klaus and he cracked a small smile.

Caroline tried her hardest to ignore the way she thought it looked like the sun, breaking through clouds after a storm.

He played into her game, affectionately twirling a strand of blonde hair around his index finger and using his other hand to lightly graze her arm from her shoulder to her wrist.

He playfully tried to grab her hand as she batted him away, pretend picking at nonexistent wrinkles on his coat. She laughed when he failed time and time again, and gasped when he finally managed to catch hold of her fingers, gripping them lightly.

Caroline decided that should painting not work out, acting was Klaus' next money maker. If the university newspaper could only see this performance, starring her as the endearing girlfriend and him as the lovelorn suitor. They would have received rave reviews.

She still felt the heat of Tatia's gaze burning through her and utilizing her peripheral vision, she peeked out the corner of her eye to see the other girl's unrelenting glare still fixed on the couple. Caroline resisted the urge to scoff audibly, if Tatia wanted to play, she should learn to bluff first.

She stood up on her tiptoes, pressing her palm against his chest and leaned up towards his face and began to whisper something, allowing her lips to graze his ear. Caroline was sure that from Tatia's point of view the move looked positively scandalous.

"Klaus, I'm going to tell you to do something. After, you will never do it again and we will never ever speak of it, understand?"

"Caroline what are yo-"

"Put your hand on my ass" Klaus' eyes widened and he froze momentarily, tensing under her hand. She pinched his forearm when he remained unmoving.

Caroline was growing impatient, unsure for how much longer they would have Tatia's attention.

"She's looking, just do it.", she rushed pulling away from him.

The loss of her warm breath against his neck and the sound of her voice snapped him out of his trance. A cocky smile spread over his face and he looked down a her.

"You don't have to ask twice Love", he winked.

Once their backs were facing Tatia once again she felt his hand slide from the exposed skin of her lower back to her bottom, cupping her ass in his hand. Caroline was glad her new enemy couldn't see the unnatural shade of red her face turned as Klaus steered them away from the bar.

"Um Klaus, where are we going?"

"Well Love, that's up to you. We could stay at this dreadful event for another hour and try to resist the urge to commit ritual suicide, or I could swipe a bottle of scotch from the bar and we could get the fuck out of here", he proposed.

Caroline considered his offer. On one hand she had done more than enough socializing for one night and could certainly used the alcohol, but on the other hand agreeing to a post-gala drinking session with Klaus Mikaelson went far beyond the bounds of their contractual agreement.

"Does it mean you'll take your hand off my butt?"

"I only need one to carry a bottle Love", he smirked.

"So you wont mind if I chop the other off then, or your balls, whichever you'd rather lose", she deadpanned.

He frowned and removed his hand, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Throw in a bottle of vodka and you've got a deal", she sighed.

His mouth curved up into a half smile and he walked away. Caroline allowed herself to glance back at Tatia once more. The beautiful brunette's eyes still bore into hers and Caroline resisted the urge to turn away, instead lifting her hand and giving the girl a small farewell wave before exiting the ballroom with Klaus. She needed that drink as soon as possible.


	10. The Park

The flashing lights of the paparazzi just beyond the glass doors made it look as if the outside of the swanky downtown hotel was illuminated by a million little fireflies.

Klaus pulled Caroline quickly by the hand out of the building, pressing his body next to hers in an attempt to block the swarm of cameras on the sidewalk. He led her towards the corner of the street, sticking out the bottle he had swiped and hailing a cab.

"Klaus what about your car?", she shouted from next to him.

"Leaving it."

She opened her mouth and looked at him disbelievingly.

"You cannot leave a two hundred thousand dollar car in the possession of a group of seventeen year old valets!"

He smiled at the shocked expression on her face, managing to wave down a driver as a black hackney pulled up next to them.

"Worst case scenario they get a free joyride and an amazing tip in the morning, now let's go", he called while yanking open the back door of the taxi.

She rolled her eyes and climbed in the back seat alone, pulling the door shut and forcing him to shotgun. Klaus settled into the seat next to the driver and whispered something to him in a low voice before the car began to move.

Realizing a few moments in that they were headed in the direction of neither her hotel or his apartment, she leaned forward and tapped Klaus on the shoulder. His response was a quiet grunt.

"Do you want to tell me where we're going?", she demanded.

"Not really no."

Klaus glanced back at her and pulled a pack of cigarettes from the back inside of his coat, rolling down the window.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"It wasn't really a question"

He grabbed a lighter from the car's center console and blew a puff of smoke out the window.

"Then you shouldn't have posed it as one", he countered.

"Klaus", she said with annoyance.

"Caroline", he mimicked, "While I understand the slightest lack of control seems to give you a great deal of anxiety, please try to just relax for once in your life."

"Relax? I'm locked in a Taxi with a stranger. You could be taking me to an opium den or some underground sex dungeon for all I know."

Although, Klaus couldn't really be called a stranger anymore considering he was feeling her up ten minutes ago.

He let out a low chuckle at her hysterics and nodded, "Ah yes, those famous 21st century London opium dens, because the city is absolutely crawling with them these days."

She held up her middle finger in the rear view mirror and looked out the window at the passing streets. While she wasn't that familiar with the foreign city, she knew enough to recognize Hyde Park. Klaus motioned for the cab to stop and quickly paid the driver, exiting the car along with Caroline.

She thought they looked a little ridiculous, their stark white designer outfits in the black of night, a bit like escapees of a very ritzy hospital ward. Caroline silently followed him along the sidewalk path before watching him wrench open a black gate and make his way through the grove of darkened trees.

A moment later Klaus stopped, indicating they had arrived at their destination.

She gave him a confused look illuminated by the street lamps overhead.

"Were in a park", she stated blankly.

Klaus threw his arms up with faux enthusiasm.

"By golly Sherlock! You've done it again!"

Caroline resisted the urge to kick him in the chin.

"I meant, why are we in a park?"

Klaus shrugged.

"I used to come here as a kid and sketch, now I come here as an adult and drunkenly sketch", he offered before falling back on a patch of grass and patting the spot next to him.

She looked at the muddy patch before raising an eyebrow.

After she remained standing Klaus looked up at her expectedly.

"400 pounds", she stated.

"What?", he asked confused.

"This dress cost 400 pounds and you can be bothered to put your jacket down for the lady."

Caroline shook her head.

"I'll have you know this suit was a gift from Giorgio Armani himself", he said haughtily.

"Well I'm sure Mr. Armani will be thrilled his contributions are going to the less fortunate", she quipped before taking a seat on the makeshift blanket.

Caroline reached over Klaus's lap and snatched the bottle of liquor from his side, taking a swig and scrunching her face together at the taste.

After a few seconds he pulled the bottle away from her lips and settled it in the space between them.

"Easy tiger", he warned.

Caroline's face turned to a pout. Klaus shook his head no and kept the handle locked in his grip.

"All this hypocrisy coming from the one who incited my alcoholism in the first place."

He grabbed his chest in mock offense, "And how is that Caroline Forbes?"

"You threw me into the ring with Satan, that's how!"

She held her hand open in front of her and he eventually relinquished the bottle.

"Only because you've earned it, Tatia is absolutely petrified of you."

"Ha", Caroline let out a single, curt laugh. "That's funny considering I'm pretty sure she wants to murder me and turn my skin into a new purse. I don't know if you've caught on yet but I have all the prowess of a teacup Chihuahua."

Klaus smirked and took his own pull of the bottle, "Caroline if she didn't fear you she wouldn't have looked at you twice, she fights because she's threatened."

Caroline made a small sound of disbelief.

"I still can't believe you subjected yourself to that for a year", she scoffed

"Two actually", he jeered

"Even better."

Caroline passed the bottle back as a consolation. He laughed at her gesture.

"How?", she asked.

Klaus took a drink of his own before answering. While she couldn't see the blue of his eyes in the dark, his stare still managed to hold her captive.

"There is a fine line between love and hate Caroline. They're both acts of passion, both require an extreme amount of devotion. Sometimes you don't quite realize when you've crossed it", he whispered.

Warmth bloomed across Caroline's face, blanketing her cheeks like a field of peonies hidden under the shroud of night.

"Believe it or not, Tatia wasn't always such a nightmare. Or maybe she was, a wolf in sheep's clothing all along. The point is that the person you met tonight wasn't the woman I loved", he said quietly, with an air of sadness to his words.

"So what was she?"

"She was wild, and free. When I met her two years ago, she was a young girl working in a bar in Vienna. Tatia was undeniably gorgeous, the kind of beauty that lacks no beholder. I asked her what she did when she wasn't pouring drinks for Europe's finest, and she told me she wanted to be a model", he paused and took a hearty gulp from the bottle.

"It was like the second I saw her she had this power over me, I would have bought the world twice over if she had asked. I told an agent friend back in London about her and two weeks later she was featured in British Vogue. Our relationship grew just as quick as her career, a year later she was England's favorite supermodel and moving into my flat. That was when things really started to change."

Klaus was laying back on the ground now, his eyes closed.

"The more designers she walked for, the more parties she attended...it was no longer enough to be with the quiet, mysterious Mikaelson brother. Anonymity doesn't do much for making a power couple in this city. That's what she would always say."

Caroline looked at him curiously.

"Maybe it's not your favorite but I saw you on that red carpet tonight Klaus, they were eating you up", she whispered, giving him a soft poke in the ribs. One of his signature half smiles appeared.

"I was raised under the watch of a camera Caroline. A part of me feeds off it, loves it. It always has and always will...but to her I was a glorified lap dog, meant to follow her around. Tatia didn't understand where her public life was to end and her personal life begin, in her eyes they were the same. There came a point where magazine editors knew more about my girlfriend than I did."

He let out an audible sigh.

"I proposed on her birthday. She said yes of course, I had given her access to an empire of wealth and fame...it was foolish, but I just wanted things to go back to the way they were."

Caroline was shocked. In all her tabloid perusal she had never once heard of Klaus' proposal to the model. It was like he heard the question on her tongue before she even had a chance to speak.

"Turns out the engagement only made things worse. I grew to resent her social climbing, refusing to attend events or premiers just to spite her. She grew to resent my reclusiveness, my insistence on keeping the proposal a secret. A month ago Elijah asked me if I really intended to marry Tatia."

Klaus quieted again, leaving Caroline on the edge of her seat.

"Well what did you tell him?"

"Yes. I told him yes. That girl could have planned us a wedding in the middle of Leicester Square and asked the queen to officiate and I still would have married her. I told him that we were just going through a rough patch, a rough patch that would be over once the movie was done and things settled down. Elijah always scolds me for that...running from my problems. According to him it makes for wonderful art but a terribly difficult younger brother."

She let out a quiet laugh at the permanent look of concern that seemed to be etched across Elijah's face at all times.

"I did heed his advice in some respect, decided to make more of an effort. A day later I visited her on set, next thing you know I'm walking into her trailer to see her naked and bent over a table with the film's director."

Caroline choked on the vodka she was sipping.

"Holy shit, you walked in on them?"

He nodded.

"Proceeded to lose my bloody mind as well. Tatia's poor little director boyfriend was sporting two black eyes for about three weeks. I told her assistant on the way out she had 2 hours to get her shit out of my apartment and to leave the ring on the table."

Caroline shook her head.

"And she just took it? She just left? No apologies?"

Klaus let out a humorless chuckle.

"She did anything but take it. She cried. She screamed for forgiveness. For a woman who claimed I was the one she was certainly quick to betray me", he growled.

"Tatia tried to make me a pawn in her game of success, and now she gets to be mine in a game of revenge", he said, his voice full of false apathy.

Caroline thought of Klaus' grand plan drive Tatia to jealous madness using her.

"Aren't I technically your pawn?", she asked tipsily.

He opened one eye and looked up at her.

"I like to think of you more as my queen Caroline", he said with a wink.

She tipped her head back and succumbed to a fit of drunken giggles.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, smoother than vodka."

Her laughter eventually stilled, and the pair sat in silence for a long time, staring at the sky or observing the London teens making their way to and from the pubs for the night.

She wasn't sure if it was the moonlight or the alcohol, but his face didn't look quite so cutting anymore.

There was something she wanted to ask him, but Caroline had come to find that Klaus was a bit like a land mine. He wasn't inherently dangerous, but take one misstep and he might explode.

"So she's the girl in your painting right?", Caroline asked quietly.

His entire body went rigid.

"Be more specific Love."

"The painting of a woman being pulled from a cliff, that's her isn't it?"

Although you couldn't see the woman's face in Klaus' painting, it was unmistakably Tatia.

"Yes", he answered simply.

"Kinda dark don't you think?", Caroline whispered.

"She kinda ruined my life, the least I could do was metaphorically end hers", he said snidely, pushing himself up onto his elbow and resting his head on his hand.

She turned her head and looked at him squarely, "Touché."

The drunker Caroline got, the less she liked the silence accompanying the space between them.

"You should be grateful you know", she said softly.

"Grateful for my slag of an ex-fiancé?", he clarified bitingly.

"Grateful you can turn pain into something beautiful. Most of us just have to live with it, try not to let it consume us."

Klaus stared at Caroline as she spoke. Unsure how to respond, he let their conversation lull once again.

"My turn", he said eventually.

She handed over the bottle assuming that was what he meant.

"My turn to ask a question", he clarified.

She shrugged and held the bottle close to her.

"Why did you agree to help me tonight?", he inquired.

She looked at him like he was idiot.

"Did you forget all about the contract where I pretend to like you and you make me an incredibly rich and famous art dealer?"

His laugh, his real laugh, was a soft barratone.

"Caroline I believe we both know no amount of money could make my company appealing, so honestly...why agree?"

Caroline bit her lip and looked up at the trees above, folding her hands across her stomach, the alcohol fizzling in her veins.

"The girl who is so eager to speak her mind is suddenly silent", he mused, "please don't tell me you're a psychotic fan and this was all a plot to fuck me", he shook his head disappointedly as if it was a common occurrence, "I mean, I'll still do it, but your efforts lack honor."

The corner of her eyelids crinkled and a shocked laugh bubbled up from inside her.

The thing was, some of her most trusted confidants didn't know the full extent of what happened between her and Tyler. And while she didn't distrust Klaus, she couldn't understand why she wasn't more afraid to tell him what she couldn't even tell her friends.

She exhaled the breath she had been holding in her chest.

"I guess I know what it's like to be cheated on", Caroline hummed.

She didn't turn to look at him, but he kept his eyes trained on her. His stare felt like an unspoken command to go on, or maybe she simply wanted to let go of the story she'd kept bottled up inside her for months.

"We dated for six years but things didn't get serious until after we graduated. His parents really wanted him to settle down, do the whole wife and two kids by twenty five thing. Then I got this job offer in New York and I had to take it. I mean, college in Virginia was one thing but I couldn't spend the rest of my life barefoot and knocked up in a two stoplight town. So we packed up everything, moved to a new city together, started new jobs...I think that was his first big sacrifice for me, leaving Mystic Falls. It was like I had forced Napoleón into exile. He never wanted to leave it, never wanted to stop being Tyler Lockwood, starting quarter back of the Timberwolves...Did you know he'd never been out of the country? I mean I hadn't either but I at least wanted to. He talks all the time about moving back one day, destined to be a small town boy", she whispered sadly.

Caroline felt like at some point while walking through the park she had tripped and fallen down a rabbit hole, her words and thoughts spiraling as she fell. But gravity and vodka already had their hold on her, she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.

"I just felt like we were building something there you know? Like building a life for each other."

She didn't wait for Klaus to respond. It seemed Caroline had opened the flood gates, and every drop of anger and resentment and bitterness she had felt after Tyler's betrayal raged through her like violent waters.

"We did it for two years and I mean things weren't perfect, Tyler sure as hell isn't fucking perfect but I tried you know? I tried so fucking hard at every stupid office dinner or Christmas party or coworker wedding. I was a goddamn Stepford wife. Even when he was angry and vindictive and busy and cruel I- I at least tried."

Tears began to prickle the edge of her lash line, and she tilted her head back to keep them at bay.

"He's really into his job too, and not in the way that normal people are into their jobs. It was like he couldn't stand to see anyone do better than him, even me. So I never batted an eye when he was gone on weekends or working late or doing whatever the fuck he did at the office because if he succeeded we succeeded. If he was happy we were happy. If he got a promotion, if he won a case, it was like we both got to ride this high he was on. I usually try to avoid the comedowns but sometimes things just get...heated", she whispered cautiously.

"This one weekend we really got into it", Caroline winced slightly at the memory.

"I had a gallery opening downtown that my boss let me spearhead. I did everything...the guest list, the decor, the press...It was my baby, the first art show I ever really got to call mine and he missed it. Weeks of planning and he treated it like some playdate I had organized myself...That night it was like every ounce of poise I showed in front of his colleagues, every ounce of fucking grace I tried to show his fucking psychotic mother...it all just came back as rage. And if I could get angry? Well then Tyler could get absolutely furious. I still don't think we'll ever get the security deposit back for the damage he did to the apartment that night. It was a real domestic as the Brits would call it."

She smiled at Klaus but it didn't reach her eyes, like the painted grin of a porcelain doll.

"The next morning he told me he was going home for the weekend to see his parents...help at his dad's firm. That's the routine. We fight, he leaves, we calm down, he comes home a whole new man. I figured he just needed a few days to cool off."

Caroline took another shot and then wrapped her fist around the jacket she sat on, squeezing the fabric impossibly tight.

"This time he brought this girl with him. She's a junior attorney at the firm. Hayley", Caroline tried to spit the world but all the venom in her voice was diluted by clear liquor.

"That's her name. Hayley Marshall."

Caroline laughed mirthlessly and turned her head in Klaus' direction, thinking of the jarring similarities between Tatia and the Marshall girl.

"She's young...smart...she likes nature and yoga and probably eats organic fucking granola for every meal. You would like her Klaus. She's pretty, like really pretty."

A familiar pang of jealousy rushed through her as she thought of the girl she'd once spent hours internet stalking.

"Stick thin, tan, dark hair...really pretty and nothing like me", she sighed running a hand through her golden locks.

"That made it worse I think. Was it too much to ask that he at least cheat with a pale blonde?", she whined drunkenly.

"He came back happy on Monday and I just thought- I thought everything was okay again", her voice came out as a small squeak.

"How did you find out?", he finally spoke.

"Believe it or not Klaus, I would have rather walked in on them a million times over than learn the way I did. You got to be the angry self righteous fiancé, the avenging angel of justice. You know what I got to be? The victim.", she narrowed her eyes and flared her nostrils.

"Poor little Caroline Forbes who couldn't keep a dad let alone a boyfriend", she chimed in a sing-songy voice, "Apparently he was fucking her all over town because it seems like everyone in Mystic Falls knew besides me. Most of us moved away after school so he only really had to keep it from my ex Matty. Luckily my friend April figured it out, flew up three days later to tell me in person. That afternoon Kat came over and helped me pack my shit. I was already boarding a plane by the time he got home and saw I was gone."

"Shit", he breathed.

Caroline turned her head back towards the stars.

"You asked", she said simply.

"I asked", he nodded in confirmation, "He sounds like a fucking wanker by the way."

"Yeah...he acted like a real wanker", she replied softly.

Klaus reached for her knee in a friendly gesture, a move of solidarity. But the jolt that swept through her body shocked her awake. If he noticed her reaction, it didn't show.

"At least you moved on", Klaus said, raising the bottle ceremoniously in a toast to her.

Caroline sat up and pulled her knees to her chest.

"What do you mean?", she asked.

"You got over him, found someone new...the boyfriend back home you told me about"

When her perplexed look didn't fade he was worried she might be gearing up to lash out at him again.

"I know it's unusual but this is me trying to be nice."

Caroline realized his mistake and sighed, holding back a choked sob. Once again would she have to sit there and justify her choices in front of yet another judge.

"I didn't find anyone new Klaus. Tyler and I are still together."

He looked confused, taking a pause and clearing his throat before speaking again.

"You're still with the guy who cheated on you?"

Her face became a resolute veil of steel and stone.

"Yes"

"And you honestly think he won't do it again?"

She ingnored the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Yes."

"He works with this woman. He sees her each and every day while you're three thousand miles away and you honestly think it's not happening?"

Caroline bit the inside of her cheek until she could taste the hot metallic blood on her tongue.

"He knows how much he hurt me Klaus", she whispered.

He looked at her the way you might look at a puppy who had just been kicked.

"Caroline-", he started.

"No, I know what you're going to say and trust me I've heard it a million fucking times. He fucked up! He hurt me, yes! I'm not a fucking idiot, I mean I practically live with the fucking Tyler Lockwood Homicide Brigade but we have history okay? Six years of history and you don't just give that up without a fight."

"Caroline-"

She was on a tirade now, pleading with him, with anyone, to understand the reasons her friends couldn't.

"And he didn't just apologize Klaus, he begged for me back. Lockwoods don't beg. They yell and make demands and get defensive but they don't beg. But he did! Doesn't anyone get that? He followed me across an ocean and found me and promised me he would change. Kat and Stefan and Bonnie and Lexi...they only see the bad in him. They don't get that he can be good, he can be so good when he just tries."

"Caroline!", he exclaimed, attempting to pull her from her harangue.

She snapped her head in his direction, face red and chest heaving.

Klaus' hand still rested on her knee and he gave it a small squeeze, his eyes boring into hers.

"Do you want to be with someone who needs to try?", he asked.

"What?"

Caroline looked puzzled. Of all the things she expected to come out of Klaus' mouth, that was not one of them.

He exhaled and retracted his hand.

"Do you want to be with someone who needs to try to love you?"

Her mask of confusion was quickly replaced by one of frustration.

"That's what a relationship is Klaus! It takes work! It's sacrifice and compromise and sometimes you hurt each other but that's how it fucking goes!", she shouted at him, standing up and stumbling slightly.

"Relationships take effort Caroline but love shouldn't", he said, pushing to his feet as well.

She laughed icily, "You're telling me the great Klaus Mikaelson believes in unconditional love? Love without conditions doesn't exist, that doesn't mean it's not valid."

She was yelling again, but the conviction in her voice didn't quite meet her eyes. Klaus looked down at her.

"Caroline exactly how long have you practiced all these lies you tell yourself?", he asked harshly.

The liquor coursing through her veins burned like white hot rage. She was so tired of everyone thinking they knew better than her.

"I'm lying to myself? At least I'm not a twenty seven year old bachelor who's going to die alone because he thinks anyone whose ever made a goddamn mistake should be vilified for the rest of their lives!"

He scoffed at her insult and plastered a wicked smile across his face.

"And I didn't think you lacked so much self worth that you'd let some arsehole other than me use you for his own kicks, and this ones not even paying you."

Caroline stepped back, the words stinging her as if she'd been slapped across the face. He knew the instant the dig left his mouth that he had gone too far.

You know what Klaus? Go fuck yourself", she spat before taking off in a sprint towards the street.

She yanked open the back door of the first cab in sight, managing to choke out the name of her hotel just before the sobs began to rack her body.


	11. The Sun

The first thought that ran through Caroline's mind when she awoke the next morning was that anyone who forgets to close their blinds the night before an impending hangover is a drunken idiot.

The second thought was that she was going to kill whoever had the nerve to call her right now.

She yanked a pillow from beside her and shielded her eyes from the blinding light, using her free hand to rustle through her sheets in an attempt to find the source of offending sound. Finally her fingers clasped around her cell and fumbled with the screen until managing to hit the call button.

"Hello?" she moaned.

The voice on the other end of the line, although unusually sharp and demanding, was unmistakeable.

"Caroline Elizabeth Forbes", the caller began impatiently,"You are going to start telling me exactly what happened last night between you and Klaus Mikaelson right now or there will be serious consequences", they roared menacingly.

"Do not test me. Every second you stall, every detail you omit, is one item of clothing I take out of your closet and deposit into this morning's trash collection and I swear to god Forbes I will start with the vintage Gucci", the familiar female voice rang out in warning.

"Kat?", she asked groggily.

Clearly that was the wrong answer as Caroline soon her the recognizable sound of her closet door slamming open and hangers being push aside.

"No, it's Joseph Stalin. OF COURSE IT'S ME! Who the fuck else would it be?", Katherine screeched.

Caroline's head began to throb and she prayed she had the foresight to put a trash can next to her bed last night.

"Katherine, please for the love of God stop screaming. I'm already two seconds away from-"

Before Caroline could finish her thought she reached for the pale next to her bed and proceeded to vomit up last night's intestinal contents.

After a solid minute of retching she brought the phone back to her ear.

"throwing up", she finished meekly.

Katherine's tone was one you might use to imitate a small toddler.

"Awww, is poor little Caroline Forbes hungover? Maybe I would feel bad for her if she WARNED ME before deciding to slut it up with KLAUS FUCKING MIKAELSON!"

Caroline mustered the little energy she had to shout back at her friend, "Katerina Petrova! If you insist on shrieking like a satanic banshee can you please at least explain what the fuck you are talking about?"

"I'm talking about your little business arrangement turned romantic rendezvous Bitch", Kat stated as if it were the most obvious answer on earth.

"Rendezvous?", Caroline asked incredulously, "Okay, clearly I'm still drunk."

Katherine scoffed and cleared her throat loudly before changing her voice to that of a posh English accent.

"'Infamous bad boy and one of the several heirs to his family fortune, Niklaus Mikaelson was in attendance last night. However in a shocking twist of events for Britain's ever so scandalous Mikaelson family, rather than supermodel Tatia Dumitrescu on his arm, Klaus was accompanied by an unknown Blonde bombshell. Well, unknown until we got our hands on her that is. According to an inside source the mystery girl is Caroline Forbes, a close family friend of Stefan Salvatore and Alexia Branson. Hoping the pair are just mates? Aren't we all. Unfortunately for us we hear the cozy couple wasn't exactly shy when it came to PDA, and while we may not have the pictures to prove it just yet, we can assure our readers that there was no shortage of photographers there to do our bidding for us. Check back today for more insider snaps and red carpet trends. And remember, there's nobody better than us for your look into the shocking lives of London's elite'", she recited.

Caroline sat up straight in bed. Another wave of nausea gripped her body, but this time it wasn't from the alcohol. She thought back to Klaus' words just nights before.

"Please tell me you got that from the society section of the London Times", she whispered.

"What?", Kat asked confusedly. "No, nobody reads that shit Care. This is in London Calling", she emphasized, citing one of the biggest gossip websites in all of the UK, "have you not seen any of this?"

Caroline ran her fingers through her hair and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Oh yeah now that you mention it when I awoke from my drunken slumber last night to do a press briefing from my hotel room I- NO I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THIS KAT!"

Caroline's heart began to race and she reached for the bottle of water on her nightstand, starting to hyperventilate. She could not believe this was happening right now. How could she have been so careless?

"What the fuck am I supposed to do? Nobody was supposed to know about me and Klaus. I just needed to make it through one fucking night!"

Her heart began to pound forcefully against her chest.

"Oh my god, he's going to kill me. Tyler is going to kill me."

Katerina Petrova may not have been the most compassionate human being, but she did have her moments, especially when she was the one responsible for inciting her best friend's panic.

"Care? Caroline? Breathe. Take a deep breath. It's fine okay? It's just one rando London gossip site. Unless Tyler really cares about who's leaving the cast of Geordie Shore or what couple from Made in Chelsea is on the outs you're going to be fine. He's not going to see a thing."

"But what if he does?", she cried.

Katherine took a cautious pause before continuing, "Caroline...you know I would never accuse you of anything, and if you did anything you know I would never judge, If anything I would encourage it...but is there any chance...any way a photo...or I don't know, something would get out that would seem incriminating if it made its way into Tyler's hands. Anything we couldn't play off as a future business partner who got a bit to drunk and handsy at a networking function?"

"No! No. No of course not", Caroline insisted, replaying last night's events like a movie reel in her head.

She traced her body like a map her in her head, each stop a place she'd let Klaus leave his mark. Her knee in the park, her hair, a casual kiss on the cheek, his fingers wrapped around her shoulder...her wrist...her waist. All were relatively harmless, regardless of how they had felt. She thought back to the last time they were under the watchful eyes of the gala, when Klaus was leading her out of the party...leading her out of the party...by her ass.

"Oh my god", she gasped.

"What?", Katherine asked frantically.

Caroline bit her cheek and emitted a high pitched screech, frantically shaking her head.

"Caroline what's going on?", Kat repeated.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Let's say there may or may not have been some light...fondling...hypothetically", she exhaled rapidly.

"Define fondling", Katherine tip-toed over the words.

"Let's say hypothetically, Klaus participated in a prolonged ass grab."

The line was dead for several seconds before Kat's voice boomed in her ear.

"YOU LUCKY WHORE!"

"Katherine!", she scolded.

"Bet you're fucking happy I forced you to do that thirty day squat challenge now, aren't ya?"

"Kat! This is so not the time! It's never going to be the time! Yes it happened and yes, I feel horrible about it, but his ex was watching and I was just in the moment and damn it Katherine! If you were there you would have done the same thing, I mean Tatia makes you look like Mother Theresa. Besides it meant nothing anyways!"

"Mmmmmhmmmmm", Kat let out a long drawn-out sound of disbelief.

"Nothing", Caroline emphasized, her voice suddenly becoming very serious, "Tyler cannot know about any of this."

"Caroline if you're worried about him breaking up with-"

"That's not what I'm worried about okay?", she snapped. "I'm worried about-", Caroline stopped herself suddenly, reeling in her words and refocusing the conversation. "Never mind Kat just please, help me fix this."

She heard Katherine click her tongue through the speaker, a tell tale sign the other girl was racking her brain for ideas.

"Okay", she said resolutely, "Plan A, we keep the problem contained within this continent. Chances are if anyone hears about it? They're going to go to you first. Check your cell, see if any high-school Facebook friends or old co-workers have come out of the woodwork."

Care set the call to speakerphone and pulled it from her ear. Looking through her texts it seemed the only people currently blowing up her phone were Kat and Matteo. If she knew anything about Stefan and Lexi it was that they were probably planning her intervention brunch this very second. She ran through her other forms of contact quickly. Calls? Nothing but Kat. Emails? Clients, contracts, the usual. Socials?

Caroline opened Instagram, the little red dot on her screen indicating a notification. She hadn't posted anything in days. Her heart began to speed rapidly.

"Kat", she called out nervously, "I think we have much bigger problems than high-school Facebook friends."

She quickly screen-shotted the app and texted the picture Kat's way, awaiting her friends response. In retrospect, Caroline couldn't believe she'd been this stupid, stupid enough to believe a date with a world famous celebrity would actually go totally unnoticed by the press. Her hangover had now taken a complete backseat to her anxiety, which was currently strapped in tight and flooring it towards oncoming traffic.

She heard an audible gasp from the other end of the line.

"Holyshit", Kat breathed.

"Thirty five thousand", Caroline said disbelievingly.

"You gained thirty five thousand followers overnight", Katherine marveled.

It wasn't just followers either. There was a hoard of new likes, shares, comments...all revolving around her and Klaus. Caroline buried her head in her hands.

She quickly tossed the her covers aside and stood up, pacing back and forth across her hotel room.

"Okay, so we delete my profile. Easy right?", she said with an air of hopefulness.

"I wish it were that simple but you're thinking in the damage prevention stage of this equation. You delete your Instagram? They go for your Facebook, Twitter, company email. Your name is already out there Babes. What we need to do now is some major damage control."

Although Caroline knew her best friend was right, she couldn't help the small scream of frustration that escaped her lungs.

"Please tell me you have a plan B", she pleaded.

Kat sighed, "Plan B is to go to brunch with Stefan and Lexi. I will text you a script for dealing with Tyler. See if my favorite ex-boyfriend can make himself useful for once and keep those party pics from leaking. Maybe Klaus was right, maybe we're blowing this all out of proportion and the blog was just a one-off okay? I will fix everything."

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief at the confidence in her friend's voice.

"How will I ever repay you?", she joked meekly.

"I take cash and Christian Dior. Now go, you're gonna be late", Kat ushered before hanging up the phone and leaving Caroline alone in the silence of her room.

She decided to busy herself before more anxiety-inducing thoughts could cloud her brain. Caroline slammed three advil and a glass of water like a shot before forcing herself into the bathroom, relishing the feeling of the cold tile on her feet. She washed her face quickly and opted for a messy bun hidden under a dark grey baseball cap. With most of her hair concealed, Caroline was hoping she didn't look quite so recognizable to the unknown spectator.

She had initially selected black leggings and a zip up to wear out but soon realized it gave her the appearance of a hungover bank robber, instead switching her top for a simple white cropped tee. Throwing on a pair of oversized aviators, she grabbed another bottle of ridiculously expensive water from her hotel mini fridge and made her way to the lobby.

Upon arrival Caroline was seriously grateful for Lexi's encyclopedia-like knowledge of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The cafe was adorably rustic and the scents wafting out the door were absolutely heavenly, but unlike most brunch spots on a Sunday morning, it wasn't brimming with people.

She spotted Stefan occupying a small table in the back corner of the room and made her way towards him quickly, throwing her bag on the floor and collapsing into a chair.

"I feel like I've been hit my a bus", she whined, flagging down a waitress and ordering a latte.

The youngest Salvatore brother glanced up at her briefly before looking back down at the menu in front of him.

"Hellooooo?", she asked, waving a hand in front of his face. He didn't move a muscle.

"Seriously Stef you're ignoring me?", she asked with disbelief. "What are we, like twelve?"

Still, he remained unresponsive.

"Fine I suppose I'll just tell nobody in particular about all the wild, raunchy, ravenous sex I had with Klaus Mikaelson last nig-"

"Caroline!", he shouted suddenly, cutting her off.

She rolled her eyes and leaned back against her seat, "At last, he speaks! Does he want to tell me why he's acting like such a dick?"

Stefan slammed his menu down on the table and clenched his hands into a set of fists.

"Depends, do you want to tell me what the fuck you were doing with Niklaus Mikaelson at my family's gala last night?"

She widened her eyes and blinked at his rare demeanor and curse before letting out a sigh.

"Me and Klaus are going into business together, something I gladly would have explained last night had you not jumped down my throat."

"Yeah right", Stefan scoffed, "I've never seen Nik take any of his business parters out in public before, even if they had a nice rack."

Caroline instinctually reached over the table and punched him in the shoulder.

"First of all, ew. Second of all, attending the gala together was part of the deal", she informed him.

Stefan said nothing, but raised his eyebrows in a sign of question.

"I needed a new artist for the gallery", she stated simply.

"And that artist is Klaus?", he asked, still dumbfounded.

She nodded in confirmation.

Stefan still looked suspicious.

"And you got him to agree to this how exactly?"

Caroline looked down at her hands and fiddled with the rings on her fingers.

"Imayveagreedtohelpimaketatiajealousbytendingtbehisfakegirlfriend", she mumbled under her breath.

"I'm sorry what was that?", he demanded.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"I said, I may have agreed to help make Tatia jealous by pretending to be his fake girlfriend...but now it's all gone to shit because the press has already figured out who I am and considering Tyler knows nothing about this little contract, I'm going to need you to stop any uncensored pictures of the event from leaking", she fired rapidly.

In their six years of friendship, Caroline didn't think she had ever seen Stefan look so pissed off, but before he could say a word she heard the familiar song of Lexi Branson's voice behind her.

"I think it's a bit late for that one sweetie", her old friend chimed before letting a small stack of paper fall to the center of their table.

It took every ounce of restraint for Caroline to prevent a repeat of this morning's vomit-fest when she saw exactly what Lex had laid out before them.

In the center of the table sat that morning's copy of The Sun. And on the cover? A photo of Klaus and Caroline on the red carpet, beaming smiles to match. Her, skimpily clad in the white silk dress, pressed against him nervously while his arm wrapped protectively against her bare waist. The headline was printed in bold white font, daring her to read on:

"THE BEAST'S NEWEST BEAUTY: Klaus Mikaelson shows off his charitable side along new flame at this year's annual Salvatore Gala"


	12. The Aftermath

Caroline's cheeks drained of color.

That was her face...on the cover of The Sun, one of the largest nationally syndicated papers in the country.

She knew the Salvatore Gala got a good amount of press. She'd been attending as a guest of Stefan since they were Sophomores in college, and each year the venue got better and donations got bigger.

Aside from Damon, their family wasn't one to brag about wealth or status, and each year the event seemed to pass just as quickly as it came. Apparently however, her immediate retreat back to the states meant she never stuck around long enough to see just how much coverage they were actually getting.

Lexi took the seat next to Caroline and opened the paper to a spread of red carpet photos. It was almost comical she thought, that the girls maintained such a close friendship despite being so different. While Caroline was frantic and flighty, Lexi was a picture of composure, the definition of casual elegance. With Lexi there was never a hair out of place or a button undone, effortless cool-girl chic.

Today she wore a long plaid trench coat over a white silk button up, her stick straight blonde cascading all the way down her back. While Caroline was sure she'd left the party no earlier than 2am, the other girl looked as if she had gotten enough beauty sleep to last a lifetime.

Lexi flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder and pointed a perfectly manicured nail at a picture taken from inside the gala walls. While it wasn't the highest quality, the photo clearly showed Klaus positioned behind Caroline, affectionately resting his hands on her shoulders.

"This one is my personal favorite", she stated.

Caroline clenched her fists, fingernails breaking the fragile skin of her palm. Itty bitty society section her ass, this shit was making national headlines.

She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and reached for the paper in front of her. Sure enough, next to the photo was a long column detailing all of the sordid rumors surrounding their relationship.

She knew from the expression on Lexi's face that she looked insane, probably like a rabid dog foaming at the mouth. However Caroline Forbes was more than over being lied to by the men in her life, and complete strangers writing puff pieces about her was where she drew the line.

"I am going to kill him...I am going to kill him, and once I kill him, I'm gonna have Bonnie do some of her weird witchy voodoo shit to resurrect him just so I can kill him again!", Caroline seethed.

Lex gave her a small pout, but Stefan's state remained fixed on a stack of waffles sitting in front of him.

"Care, no offense", Lexi chimed, "but what did you think was going to happen? I mean I'm not blaming but, you knew he was this famous."

She knew Lex didn't mean it as an attack, she herself had spent the whole morning wondering the same thing. Still, Caroline couldn't help the pang of hurt at her friend's words, as if she had meant for all of this to take place.

"Yeah well maybe I didn't think your family was this relevant", she snapped at the pair of cousins across from her. A look of pain flashed across the other girl's face and she regretted the words just as quickly as she had said them.

Caroline quickly reached for Lexi's hands across the table.

"Sorry- I'm sorry- it's just...Klaus really made it seem like it would be no big deal", she said desperately.

Lexi nodded at the look of remorse on her face and gently placed a hand on the small of her back in a show of comfort. The boy sitting across from her simply scoffed.

"Well Care I hate to tell you, but that's what Nik does. Lies. It's not exactly a shocker to any of us anymore", Stefan sneered.

Lexi shot him a reprimanding look and her hand flashed his way, smacking him upside the head.

"Alright Stef. I'm sure Caroline is already feeling pretty judged, so if you'd like to do us all a favor and cut this little asshole act you've got going on that would be great. If we wanted to have brunch with Damon, we would have invited him", she smirked, taking a jab at her older cousin. "As for you", she said turning towards Caroline, "any thoughts as to what we're going to tell the boyfriend? Unless this is the new boyfriend...because let me tell you sweetie, Klaus Mikaelson looks damn good on you."

Stefan shot daggers at his older cousin and Caroline matched them.

"Don't encourage her", Stef growled.

"Oh I don't need any encouragement. I would rather pull out each of my individual fingernails and eat them than willingly spend time with him", she snarled, grabbing a fork from beside Stefan's waffle and stabbing it through Klaus' printed face.

While her boyfriend may have been her biggest worry, she knew her roommate was right in telling her nothing could be done at this very moment.

"Right now my priority is this bastard. Tyler has a good six hours before he even wakes up and Kat is currently crafting me a perfect alibi-"

A curt laugh interrupted the end of her sentence.

"So what, is Katherine like your evil personal assistant now?", Stefan quipped.

Caroline rolled her eyes, sick of her best friend's attitude. In all honesty, there wasn't that much bad blood between the pair, especially considering her role as the middle man. They may not have been the friendliest of exes, but she knew at this point Stefan's abandonment of civility only occurred to further piss her off.

"Oh so she's Katherine now? I thought we were still going with 'she who must not be named'...or is that only around Elena?", she raised her eyebrows and pulled some cash from her wallet, standing up. "And trust me Stefan, if Kat was my PA she'd be far too busy trying to tag herself in all of you and your lookalike girlfriend's photos"

Caroline threw the bills down on the table and pulled her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.

Lexi stood up as well and huffed. She looked at the two friends like they were petulant children arguing over a toy.

"You know this cafe is supposed to have amazing scones? I mean I wouldn't know, seeing as we've turned it into a public forum for your petty arguments."

They remained silent. Both parties looked down at the floor, cracking under the shame of Lexi's gaze but too proud to apologize.

"Nothing?...Alright, I'm gonna grab a muffin at Starbucks then since you two insist on ruining a perfectly nice meal", she whined, fetching her purse from floor. "By the way, I don't care if a Klaus and Caroline sex tape is released in the next hour, we're still doing drinks at my place tonight so lose the attitude...both of you."

The two girls exited the restaurant together, and while upset their family meal was cut short, Caroline knew Alexia would keep to her word about drinks tonight, even if it meant dragging her from the hotel by her hair.

Lexi leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, brushing her hands over the sleeves of Caroline's top like a doting mother would.

Pulling a set of keys from her purse, she unlocked her jag from across the street.

"I would offer to give you a lift Care but I'd rather not have my name tied to such a high profile murder."

Alexia headed towards her parking spot, climbing into the front seat of a car and giving a loud shout, "I like that top by the way, make sure you don't get blood on it!"

Despite all of her emotions running high, she couldn't help but give her friend a reluctant smile, "See you tonight Lex."

Whipping out her phone to call a cab, Caroline heard the quiet padding of feet on the pavement behind her.

"Caroline! Wait!", Stefan called.

Rather than looking up from her screen she simply waived a hand behind her.

"Please Stefan, there will be plenty of time tonight for you to bitch me out at Lexi's but right now I really have to-"

"Care", Stefan breathed out as he caught up to her, wrapping his hand around her wrist.

She stilled at the sudden contact and looked up at him with confusion, a question forming on her lips.

"We're friends right? Best friends?", he asked.

Caroline sighed at the anxiety in his voice and nodded firmly.

"Best friends", she emphasized.

"Then I can tell you anything right?"

"Obviously Stefan, you know that."

He looked at her with such intensity, his eyes boring into hers. It hurt, seeing eyes like his, eyes like home, filled with that much worry...Stefan always told her she was weird when she said that...that he had eyes you could come home to.

"Okay, then I'm telling you to be careful", he instructed.

"What, with Klaus?"

He gave her nod of confirmation.

Caroline put her hands on either side of him and smiled.

"Stef, did you miss the part of the conversation where I said I was going there to curse the shit out of him?", she reminded.

His stoic appearance remained unchanged and he took a deep breath.

"Care, how do you explain Klaus Mikaelson's fame? The money, the name...sure that makes you someone worth recognizing but...he doesn't attend events, doesn't do interviews, meet fans...and yet he still has the world at his feet, waiting and watching. Do you know why? Because Nik is an enigma. He's curious and intelligent and it is easy to get caught up in him Caroline. I know, I spent my youth there...but I promise you, he is dangerous."

Caroline was taken aback by the solemness of his voice, and instead of grasping at words she didn't have, she simply swallowed and gave him a nod before turning away.

On her way to Klaus' office she thought more about Stefan's warning...and he was right. Klaus was like a twisted garden; beautiful, but scattered with ivy waiting to coil itself around you. She imagined that should you stay too long, the vines might hold you in their grasp forever.

The voice of Persephone rang quietly in Caroline's mind... cautioning her about the intentions of men and their gardens.

KLAUS' POV

Klaus straightened the cuffs of his shirt and walked towards his office on the top floor of Mikaelson Holding's downtown building. The aftereffect of his recent vodka binge meant he appeared oddly unkept for the early afternoon. His curly blonde hair was especially tousled and his usually sharp jaw was camouflaged by a patch of stubble. He was unsure as to whether the button-up he'd snatched from his floor earlier was clean, and honestly he couldn't care less.

On the average morning following a night like last's, Klaus wouldn't have moved from him bed for at least 3 more hours. Today however, he had foolishly promised Finn he would sit through a few shareholder meetings. He ran a hand through his hair and resisted the urge to be sick once again.

Last night had gone both perfectly according to plan and horribly wrong. On one hand, Caroline hadn't just peaked Tatia's interests, she'd demolished the woman. On the other, he recalled the look of hurt on her face and feared that perhaps he had finally done something irreparable.

Klaus would hardly consider himself and Caroline friends. The way he saw it, she had plenty and he needed none. What he knew however, was that he was inexplicably drawn to her. Like a moth to a flame, he couldn't seem to keep away from her...and he just didn't know why.

It was a feeling Klaus despised, that lack of control. The game he was playing was a dangerous one. He had let a woman toy with his heart before, and it had almost been his downfall.

It wasn't as if he could have her either, not that he believed anyone could ever truly have her. She didn't seem like something to be possessed.

There was the matter of her boyfriend of course, a seemingly massive arse. Despite his wavering loyalties, her's remained surprisingly resolute. Perhaps it was that loyalty that he craved from her.

The were so many limits in place for Caroline Forbes, and Klaus did not like limits.

He knew that he had been cruel the night before, condemning her for something he never had the ability to do...forgive. But it would be far too easy to be cordial, too easy to let her think him kind and understanding. He wanted the parts of her that he had to work for, challenge her for; the parts people overlooked in favor of the angel she disguised herself as. It was enticing, and something deep inside him...something primal...enjoyed the fire in her, the light that shone from a pure inferno raging within. Klaus Mikaelson was a selfish man, and he just couldn't deny himself the pleasure of watching her burn.

His new secretary Camille sat quietly at her desk, lifting her head up as he sped by as if she meant to tell him something. Rather than stopping for a chat, Klaus held a hand up in her direction.

"Please just forward any messages to my email Miss O'Connor", he growled, hungover and apathetic as to whether he had gotten her name right this time. She was both flirty and inefficient, an especially annoying combination in his eyes. Walking down the long hallway that led to his office, Klaus noticed a figure already present.

He saw her sitting through the glass door and sighed. Long blonde hair hanging down her back, thin legs crossed and perched on the edge of his desk. She sat casually, picking at her nails and inspecting any flaws in her manicure.

She was always so much easier to read than she thought, the tension in her shoulders spelling out her annoyance with ease.

He really needed to have a conversation with Camille about letting just anyone in his office.

Klaus exhaled sharply and shoved the door open, depositing his briefcase by the wayside. She turned her head at the sound of his entrance and grinned wickedly at him.

"Rebekah", he acknowledged, giving his younger sibling a nod, "What can I do for you on this fine Sunday morning. Finally run out of assistants to harass? Shoes to buy?"

She opened her eyes wide and blinked.

"I didn't realize I needed a reason. Can't a loving sister just visit her older brother without motive?", she questioned innocently while holding up a large coffee. "Besides, I come bearing gifts."

He snatched the drink from her hand and took a sip, thankful it was still hot.

"A loving sister can, but you never do. What do you need Beks?", he asked accusatorially.

Klaus' sister was one of the few people in this world he could say he truly cared for. He loved her, despite all her entitlements and petulance. But Beks was a medicine best taken in small doses, preferably when sober and well-prepared; two things he currently was not.

Rebekah swiftly ignored his question and took a sip from her own plastic cup, sweeping the bangs from her face.

"You know I wore the most amazing dress last night? It was couture, Atelier Versace. Donatella told me it took them three hundred hours to make."

He furrowed his brows at his younger sister. Klaus hadn't had a chance to say hello yesterday evening at the gala, but he'd seen several photos of her strewn across newsstands on his way to work. She looked elegant as always; but what he couldn't understand was why she was choosing to regale him with stories of fashion.

"As hard as it is to believe Rebekah, this is a place of business and while I realize you may not understand the concept, I am here to work. I'm sure Camille up front would be more than happy to talk dresses if you-"

"My dress took 300 hours to make and it was upstaged. Upstaged!", she looked at his unwavering and stoic expression, "I know. I couldn't believe it either...and by whom you may ask? My darling brother and his apparent new girlfriend", she barked, turning his anger on him. "At least according to The Sun, Daily Mirror, Vogue, Daily Mail, and The Guardian."

Klaus looked at his sister sipping her coffee and rolled his eyes, taking a seat behind his desk and opening his laptop.

"That's what this is about? Headlines?", he asked annoyed.

"No. This is about my brother's decision to ditch his fiancé for a Salvatore groupie without informing his family."

"You hated Tatia", he reminded her.

"And most of Britain hated Maragret Thatcher, they still wanted to know when she died!"

"Elijah knew", Klaus taunted.

Rebekah pulled the straw from her iced coffee and tossed it across the desk at him. Even in his hungover state, Klaus managed to expertly bat away the incoming plastic dart.

"Anyways", he continued, "you'll be glad to know Caroline is a business partner, that's all."

"A business partner?", she scoffed, "Yes, because I'm sure Bill Gates and Paul Allen spent just as much time eye-fucking each other as you two did."

He had seen several of the photos taken from the gala last night, and Beks was right. They looked nothing less than incriminating.

Klaus was of course reluctant to inform his sister of his and Caroline's deal. To Rebekah, any information that could be lorded over another was sweeter than candy to a baby. However it was very apparent that the topic of his supposed love life was one she would not be letting go of anytime soon.

"If you must know, Caroline agreed to...show affection towards me in the hopes of making Tatia jealous", he informed her cautiously.

A look of realization dawned on Rebekah's face. She held back an obvious smile, but the corners of her lips turned upwards dangerously.

"Oh see that- now that is rich. Niklaus Mikaelson paying for the company of women? How many reporters at the Mirror do you think would get their rocks off to that?"

"Rebekah", he warned.

She retracted her feet from his desk and leaned forward.

"Relax brother, you know I would never. Elijah would cut me off for at least a year...but faux or no, I must say the two of you have excellent chemistry", she hummed.

Klaus' resolve wavered ever so slightly, but enough that Rebekah's hawk like abilities to meddle in the lives of others picked up on it instantly.

"You should invite her to dinner at the manor on Sunday", she suggested slyly.

Klaus huffed and crossed his arms, unamused by the younger girl's games.

"And why in God's name would I ever do that?"

Rebekah stood up and slung a shopping bag over her shoulder, holding both hands up in a sign of defense.

"I'm just saying. Elijah and Finn already insist on planning a meeting with her, and you know If I'm not invited I'll just find a way to show up...might as well use the home-field advantage."

Klaus looked at his younger sister with suspicion.

"How do you know what Elijah and Finn are planning?"

Rebekah looked at her older brother as if she expected more from him.

"Yours is the third office I've visited today brother. I read all of your emails. How else do you think I know when you're all lying about being too busy to see me?", she shrugged.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her.

"That is a major invasion of privacy and quite unscrupulous behavior Rebekah", he chided. Standing up and opening his office door for her.

She gave him a wicked look before turning towards the exit.

"Mikaelsons? Unscrupulous? Never", she teased.

Rebekah strode confidently into the hallway when she heard the sounds of a small commotion in the office lobby.

"Miss for the last time I can't let you inside. Mr. Mikaelson is not taking appointments at this moment!", she heard Klaus' incompetent secretary whine.

"Listen, I get that you're being paid to do this whole bitchy guard dog thing, I really do. And I'm sure you're just a ray of fucking sunshine on the reg...but if you think I'm going to be deterred by a headset and some bad highlights, think again Camille."

Rebekah entered the room to see her brother's mystery date, wild-eyed and rage-filled. She picked up on the faint sound of Klaus exiting his office behind her.

Beks pushed a slender hand forward in Caroline's direction.

"You must be Caroline Forbes, Nik has told me so much about you", she hummed, sizing up the girl in front of her.

It was obvious that Caroline recognized her, but any shock she may have felt normally was swept aside by the anger coursing through her body.

"No he hasn't", she snapped, refusing her handshake.

Rebekah looked taken aback, but impressed nonetheless.

"You're right", she smirked before making her way towards the elevator.

She glanced back at her brother who had finally entered the lobby.

"Smart too, I like this one Nik", she called back at him before the metal doors shut on the scene before her, a storm left in her wake per usual.

Upon noticing Klaus' arrival, Caroline redirected her vitriol.

"What is the point of a secretary if anyone feels they can simply enter my office as they please? Shall we just install a revolving door then? Surely it would cost less than your salary", he barked.

While his words were directed at Camille, his stare remained locked on Caroline. She rolled her eyes and shoved past him, storming towards his door.

"Your assistant fucking sucks by the way!", she called out purposefully, letting the declaration echo in the direction of Camille's work space.

"Well Love, I see you found my office", he said calmly.

"Yup", she snapped, "I just looked for the building that had 'Abandon all hope ye who enter here' written across the door."

"Can I assume you're here to apologize?", he riled her up, taking a seat in his chair once again.

Caroline looked seconds away from slapping him across the face.

"Sure, and I'll assume you hold the world records for both largest ego and smallest dick", she spat, slapping her copy of The Sun down on his desk. "I'm here about this."

Klaus picked up the small stack of papers by their corner and flung them into the bin by his desk.

"Thank you for the gesture Miss Forbes, but I'm more of a Daily Mail man myself."

Caroline took the seat across from him and leveled her eye's with his.

"I meant, why the fuck is my face plastered over the cover of every national tabloid in this godforsaken country?", she asked, her voice lacking a dangerous amount of emotion.

Klaus looked at her will mock offense.

"No need to insult the motherland Love, they're likely all over Spain as well."

He shut his computer and leaned over his desk, hand folded in front of him.

"Feel free to stop me if I'm wrong, but I think it's because you attended a highly publicized event with a very famous man." Klaus glanced down at the paper he had tossed in the trash. "You looked great by the way. Today?", he began, referencing her disheveled appearance, "eh- not so much."

Caroline took a shaky breath and Klaus could tell she was trying her best to contain her rage.

"The Times", she whispered. "You told me took look out for the society section of The Times."

He nodded in confirmation, "Yes and they did a lovely feature on us."

"THEM AND FIFTY OTHERS", she screeched. "You made it seem like nobody would find out about this Klaus", she said meekly.

If Klaus was a gracious man, this would have been the perfect time for an apology.

But alas, he was not.

"Caroline, how did you know who I was?", he questioned her, cocking his head to the side like a curious child.

"What?", she asked confusedly.

"When we met two nights ago, how did you know who I was? You recognized me obviously. So how did you do it?"

Caroline gave him a look similar to Rebekah's just moments ago.

"Because Klaus, you're in every magazine, every article, on every fucking blog in Europe. How else? Now, if we could stop with your games and get back to the issue at han-"

He cut her off.

"You knew full well the extent of my fame, and yet you agreed to come as my date anyways, odd...To me that sounds a bit like a woman trying to sabotage her own relationship."

Caroline's nostrils flared and her gripped tightened around the corners of his desk.

"You don't know shit about my relationship", she scathed, "and whether or not you want to own up to it? You're the one who lied here, and I'm the one who has to pay for it."

He was unmoved by her guilt trip, but imagined that in a world surrounded by the sentimental likes of Stefan Salvatore and Alexia Branson, shame must be a tool used most often.

"Yes because god forbid your cheating boyfriend finds out you have a platonic friend of the opposite sex."

She scoffed audibly, "You're the furthest thing from a friend to me Klaus."

He flashed her an arrogant smile.

"Perhaps, but I am something to you Caroline", he insisted.

"As for your little boyfriend? I think a part of you wanted this. You'd never admit it to anyone, maybe you'll never even admit it to yourself but I think somewhere deep inside, some part of you wanted to hurt him like he hurt you. Maybe there was a dark little part of you that wanted revenge."

Her face flushed red.

"Deny it if you'd like, but I've come to find a rejection of the facts does not change the truth itself", he sneered.

Caroline wore an expression of uneasy disgust.

"Unlike you Klaus, I don't aspire to hurt the people I care about", she said evenly.

He look unconvinced, but shrugged his shoulders all the same.

"Very well, since you are so repulsed by me, does this mean you're releasing me from the duties of our contract?"

He already knew the answer, and it left him feeling victorious.

"I don't care if you're the crown prince of Hell", she sneered, "a deal is a deal."

He feigned irritation at her insistence and thought back to Rebekah's earlier advice. Surely Finn and Elijah would conduct their meeting without him present should she ask, and that was not a risk Klaus was willing to take.

"Fine, then we'll have to set up an appointment with my brothers to discuss the contract", he said, leveraging his hands against the desk and pushing himself up onto his feet.

"Fine, have your secretary email me, unless that's too difficult a task for her?", she snarked.

"Sorry Love, unfortunately her only duty is keeping angry blondes out of my office. As you can see, she's not the greatest at it", he whispered lowly. "The meeting has already been arranged, tomorrow evening at 6pm, over dinner. I will text you the location."

She narrowed her eyes at him suspicious of his intentions.

"And this is just a dinner meeting?"

"You have my word", he assured her.

Eventually Caroline gave him a reluctant nod.

"Fine, but if I even so much as see a camera I swear to god I will restart the great fire of London in your living room", she warned him before sauntering out of his office, giving Camille a patronizing wave on the way.


	13. The Confrontation

Caroline was walking briskly down the Tesco aisle in search of a last minute bottle of Rosé to bring to Lexi's that night. Her hand was clenched tightly around the handles of her basket, forming a fist.

She was on edge, and she had been since receiving Klaus' text nearly two hours ago. Their dinner meeting was set to take place the next night at some address a ways outside of London, however Caroline could care less about what overpriced restaurant the Mikaelsons had chosen to dine at. What she cared about was figuring out the best way to impress Finn and Elijah while controlling her murderous urge to kill their younger brother.

It was almost as if the more she thought about developing a show with Klaus, the less the whole charade seemed worth it. She couldn't back down now obviously. The paparazzi would only stay breathing down the back of unknown gallery owner Caroline Forbes for so long, and if Klaus wanted to force her into the spotlight the least she could do was cash in on the media storm. Besides, it was ridiculously clear from the display today in his office that Klaus wanted out of the deal, and she refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead she would grin and bear it, convince Finn and Elijah that she was the best thing to ever happen to their damn company.

Caroline nodded her head in resolution, snatching the neck of a cheap bottle on the middle shelf and throwing it into her basket along with a bag of chips (the American kind).

She perused a few more isles to make sure she hadn't missed anything; Lexi was all fun and games until you were being scolded about forgetting the ten thousand cups she asked you to bring. As she rounded the corner of another shelf she felt her phone buzz in her pocket and reached down to check it, her heart dropping in the process.

Caroline had spent nearly her whole afternoon in a coaching session with Kat trying to prepare herself for this moment. According to Katherine, the best offense was always a good defense, and the only way out for Caroline was to play so innocent Tyler would be forced to think she'd spent the last week hanging out at the nearest convent. And if that didn't work? She would need to play on his insecurities, make him seem foolish for voicing any accusations in the first place.

She personally thought that last part of the plan was just downright mean. But according to Kat that was only mild warfare; something she didn't doubt considering Katerina was the only girl she knew who could give Sun Tzu a run for his money.

Caroline inhaled sharply and brought the phone towards her ear.

"Ty?", she answered unsuspectingly.

Tyler was practically panting on the other line, the sound of his heaving so clear that it felt as if he was there, breathing down her neck.

"Caroline", he seethed, "Who the fuck is Niklaus Mikaelson?"

The purpose of her boyfriend's unscheduled call was already apparent, but the question startled her all the same.

"Who?", she chirped.

Caroline was aiming for believable confusion, but the word sounded no more than quiet squeak. She realized how dumb the response was the moment it left her mouth, smacking the palm of her hand against the side of her head several times.

Idiot

Idiot

Idiot

She did her best to recover.

"Ohhhhhh, you mean Klaus...He's nobody really, some rich artist I'm trying to work with for the gallery. Why?"

Tyler couldn't see her of course, but she couldn't help the instinctual shrug of her shoulders she threw in. Caroline really hoped her tone read as nonchalant and casual as she was trying to seem.

"Really?", he laughed mirthlessly, "Because from the 600 photos I've been sent today it looks like my girlfriend used her annual Salvatore sponsored vacation to fuck around with some knockoff Prince William", he snapped.

She bit her lip and dug her heel into the store's laminate floor, trying her very best to telepathically channel Katherine from across...well, from across the actual Channel.

"Tyler, what are you talking about? Fucking around? With Klaus Mikaelson? You're kidding me right?"

"There's photos of the two of you all over the goddamn internet", he snapped, "Do you know what people are calling you Caroline? His girlfriend. I mean who the fuck even is this guy? And what the fuck were you wearing?"

"That's what this is about? The gala?", she feigned shock and ignored the dig at her risqué choice of dress. "God Ty...I told you, he's an artist and he's well connected. We were both invited and his manager thought it might be good press for the show. Besides, we barely spoke beyond introducing me to some of his contacts. That's all it was, networking."

"Networking?", he scoffed loudly in disbelief.

She held her head high and tried to keep her voice from betraying her. "Knowing the right people is ninety percent of my job, it's how you make it in this business Ty, you know that."

"You went as his date Caroline!", he whispered this time but it sounded like he was straining his voice in an attempt not to scream. She assumed he was calling from his office.

"I went as his business partner!", the tone of her voice seesawed perfectly between hurt and anger. "Do you realize how insane you sound? You're picking now to throw a bitch fit because a client of mine happens to have a penis! Real mature by the way. And if I recall correctly you were the one who told me that you would try to understand how important my career was when I moved out here!"

There was a slight pause from his end.

"And his hands all over your ass? How important was that for your career?", he asked plainly.

Fuck. There were photos.

Now she knew why London Calling had such large readership; they did not disappoint.

There was only one thing left for Caroline to do. Turn.

That was what Katherine had told her...If the conversation went left, turn it on him. Guilt, reverse psychology, whatever it takes.

Caroline leaned against the aisle shelves and tipped her head back, taking a deep breath.

"Tyler, if I had a fucking dollar for every drunk twenty-something guy that got a little too handsy at an event, I would have enough to retire tomorrow okay?...Listen I get that you don't take my career seriously, and I get that things are going well at the firm. I get it, I really do...But things are going well for me too you know? And when I came out here you promised me things would change", she played up the twinge of sadness in her voice, "You said that you got it, that you got how important the gallery was to me and now you're gonna call every time I'm seen in public with a client?"

Caroline hoped she sounded sincere because in all honesty, she was.

"I don't trust him", Ty growled.

And he shouldn't. Klaus was cunning, sharp...devoid of any consideration or empathy. But she wasn't, or at least she'd never been before. Caroline had always been honest; someone you could have faith in, someone you could turn to for the inimitable truth.

So maybe she hadn't been the most candid girlfriend this past week. Maybe she had fucked up, big time. Maybe her agreement with Klaus was a giant mistake after all.

And if it was?

Then she was sure her punishment would come, all in due time.

Still, didn't he get it? He wasn't allowed to doubt her. He was the deceitful one. He was the one who had fucked them up in the first place.

"Then trust me!", she yelled, her voice straining against the speaker.

It was more of a plea than anything else; a plea for Tyler to put half the faith in her that she had put in them for the last five years. Caroline was begging him, just this once, to be the guy he promised he could be, like she had for him.

She knew her efforts were futile however, both for him to trust her and for her to be worthy of trust.

Although she wouldn't bring herself to admit it, something about Klaus was changing her. Caroline couldn't quite place it, but somehow he was infecting her...spreading through her body like poison, planting doubts and fallacies at every corner. Suddenly her relationship, the only solid thing she'd known for the last eight years, felt like a mountain where she couldn't quite find a foothold to keep her from plummeting.

Caroline Forbes had never been a liar, but her next three statements consisted of only one certain truth.

"I love you." A fact.

She had loved Tyler since she was sixteen; a stupid girl head over heels for the quarterback and far too preoccupied with cheerleader bake sales. She loved the way he always kept their freezer stocked with her favorite ice cream or how sometimes he would make reservations at her favorite Italian restaurant when she was having a bad week. He was flawed yes, but she loved him then and she loved him now.

"I only want to be with you." An uncertainty.

As much as she loved Tyler, a future with him both comforted and terrified her. It was nice to know you were done looking, to know that you had a guaranteed place in this life beside someone else...that you wouldn't have to be alone. But there were times where thoughts of that future with Tyler filled her with dread. The cheating was one thing...but the fights...the expectations to be as good as his mother and all the Mrs. Lockwoods before her, it was hard to stomach.

"Klaus Mikaelson is nothing to me." A lie.

He was not nothing.

Stefan was right after all. Men like Klaus don't know how to be nothing. They don't have it in them. They dig their way too far into you to ever just be a fleeting acquaintance.

It wasn't as if Caroline liked him either...quite the opposite really. Klaus Mikaelson was completely and totally infuriating.

He had crafted her into an unwilling participant of media sensationalism, forcing her to become an overnight starlet. He not only thought he was better than her, but convinced himself of the core belief that the sun rose and set at his command. It was maddening.

But Caroline didn't quite think it was a matter of liking him. Elijah, Rebekah, Stefan...none of them seemed to have ever liked Klaus that much. Instead, it seemed they had all at some point held this great unwavering loyalty to him...and that terrified her.

She didn't let people get inside her head...under her skin...especially when she didn't like them. But Klaus had somehow managed to launch an invasion on her thoughts for the past three days that showed no sign of surrender.

She thought about him constantly. Whether in anger or interest, he wandered her mind on a lone crusade, attacking her with unwanted questions and curiosities.

She wasn't quite sure what he was, but he wasn't nothing.

The line was filled only by silence for several moments before she heard Tyler exhale.

"If he tries anything...I'll kill him Care", he said solemnly. His voice was grim, ominous.

The accompanying statement was unspoken, but Caroline heard it loud and clear. If you try anything, I'll kill you too.

She gulped and placed a hand on the shelf next to her, a cold fear creeping towards the edge of her mind, fear she hadn't felt in months.

Caroline took a moment to regroup, forcing the tide of her emotions back as if keeping a ship at bay. She pushed a soft lock of hair behind her ear and walked steadily towards the checkout, reminding herself where she was.

"I know", she whispered honestly.

He exhaled, the answer appeasing him for the moment.

"Good", he said simply, "you know I love you Care, I'm just watching out for you, always."

Caroline let an anxious shiver run its way through her body, lifting her basket on to the grocery belt in front of her and giving the cashier a forced smile.

"I love you too", she whispered quietly before hanging up.

Caroline paid for her items in silence before heading outside to hail a cab, shoving a headphone into one ear and forcing the punchy mid 2000s playlist to keep anymore forgotten thoughts and memories tucked far away where they belonged.


	14. The Dinner Part 1

Klaus' POV

Klaus crumpled up another sheet of paper and tossed it haphazardly towards the growing pile in the corner of the room. He reached for the glass of Bourbon next to him and took a large gulp, lazily wiping his sleeve across his mouth.

This time it was the nose.

He couldn't get her bloody nose right and it was driving him mad. Normally sketching was the only time Klaus had completely to himself, however tonight was an exception. Every time he felt himself beginning to relax, thoughts of Caroline would rear their ugly head, pulling him from his artistic process and forcing him to dispose of yet another drawing.

Eventually Klaus gave way to the annoyance and began sketching her instead, but with each sketch he found there was some minuscule part of her physiognomy he couldn't seem to capture.

He sighed and refilled his glass, tipping his head against the arm rest of the couch he was strewn across in the manor's upstairs studio.

Rather than head back to his flat following his morning in the office, Klaus decided to return home to his family's estate. His presence was expected there the next evening anyways, and he despised his place in the West-End at night. The emptiness, the white walls, the quiet...it never failed to put him on edge.

While Klaus may have been the last Mikaelson sibling to ever reminisce about his childhood, the small studio was one of the few places in the world that provided him sanctum. Although alone, the manor still gave him peace of mind. Its endless distractions...the creaking of floorboards...the ticking of a clock; they all kept him from getting too lost in his own thoughts.

The small comforts usually did his art well, but not today. It seemed that today, Caroline Forbes was proving to be an unexpectedly difficult subject. Beautiful, but difficult.

Although Klaus would never admit it aloud, a part of him was rather nervous about tomorrow. While he couldn't seem to snuff out his unreasonable obsession with getting a rise out of her, he also realized he was toeing a fine line. He was already risking her partnership by unknowningly inviting her to a family dinner, and if he played his cards wrong again he may very well lose her completely.

Klaus wasn't sure why, but that wasn't something he was willing to risk.

At that moment, a dark shadow passed by the cracked door of his studio quickly before stopping in its path and retreating towards him. A large hand reached out and gave the door a gentle push, revealing the intruder.

"Elijah", Klaus acknowledged.

While his older brother was one of the few people he typically considered a welcome interruption, his intoxication laced frustration felt otherwise.

Their family's estate was massive, comprised of two large main houses and home to approximately 72 private rooms. This considered, it seemed Klaus still couldn't outrun the unlucky fate of his presence's discovery.

Elijah looked at him with subdued shock.

"Brother, I thought you weren't expected until tomorrow."

"Well with the lot of you up my arse about promptness, I figured I'd ensure my timely arrival by coming a day early", Klaus drawled sarcastically, "And you? While I'm sure there's a case for reliving your glory days it's a bit much to spend five nights out of the week in your childhood home don't you think? Dear Rebekah might tell you to...what is it she always saying to me...seek help?"

Although he maintained several properties within central London, his brother had never been too fond of city life. While Klaus may pay the occasional reluctant visit to the manor, Elijah was there constantly.

Elijah eyed the glass of amber liquid sat next to him. "Whiskey Niklaus? It's early, no?"

The words were reminiscent of something Caroline had said to him just days ago, further inciting his aggravation.

"Bourbon actually. The good sort, imported from America. I'd offer you some but demand happens to outweigh supply at the moment", the picked up the half-full glass bottle by the neck and shook it for emphasis before returning to his former position and shutting his eyes.

Elijah simply shrugged, having long outgrown his brother's antics. He noted the sketch pad sat on Klaus' lap, flipped open to another unfinished portrait.

"Interesting drawing, nice change of pace from the ones of Tatia's beheading if I may say."

Elijah's naturally spoke in a sort of monotone timbre, but even Klaus picked up on the sarcastic lilt in his voice.

"Prick", he muttered, sliding his hand over the artwork, blocking it from sight.

Elijah ignored him and continued, "Something seems off about it...the nose I think. Unusual for you...that is unless you weren't attempting a depiction of Miss Forbes?"

"Perhaps you should stick around for my next one, I'm thinking a lovely life sized portrait of you fucking yourself", he snapped.

Elijah swallowed in discomfort.

"Must you always be so vulgar Niklaus?"

"Yes", he clipped, "But luckily for you they're pioneering a new cure for it. It's right out there in the hallway, far away from here", he sang in a futile attempt to force Elijah out of the room.

Unfortunately his brother showed no signs of movement.

"I meant to ask you Niklaus, why is it exactly that Caroline Forbes is set to attend our weekly family meal?"

Sometimes Klaus swore his siblings were more alike than they were willing to admit, always bringing each other to the brink of insanity simply to coerce information out of each other.

"Ask Rebekah", he deflected.

Technically it was the truth, Beks had been the one with the idea to invite the other blonde in the first place.

"I'd rather ask the one responsible for handing out the invitations", he drawled.

"We needed to set up a business meeting", Klaus grunted, eyes still shut.

The telling creak of the floorboard indicated Elijah's pacing of the small room. He was a closeted individual, they all were, naturally distrustive of outsiders. The difference was Elijah actually cared enough to try and keep their private lives private.

"And you didn't think that perhaps you should save such a meeting for business hours?", he inquired with the smallest hint of annoyance in his voice.

"So you and Finn could leave me out of it? Not likely brother", he sneered.

"We would have done no such thing unless Miss Forbes requested so", he defended himself.

"She would have requested", Klaus snapped.

Elijah's pacing stopped suddenly.

"And why is that?"

Klaus returned his question with silence.

"Niklaus we have a reputation to uphold, if any part of this arrangement has become...personal, I need to know so that I can-"

"Relax Elijah I didn't fuck the girl", he cut him off.

While his brother may not have approved of his choice of language, the relief on his face at Klaus' statement was palpable.

"She simply may or may not have come to the conclusion that her public association with me...I believe the phrase she used was 'ruined her life'."

Elijah held a hand to his temple in a sort of calming gesture.

"What did you do?", he asked rigidly.

Klaus finally opened his eyes to look at his brother, feigning a look of offense. He sat up and shoved an old throw pillow behind his back.

"Honestly brother, must everyone always assume it was I who did something?"

Elijah's face was an unmoving deadpan.

"Fine", he sighed. "I suppose if, and that's a strong if, but if I am guilty of anything at all, it is simply that I tried to ease Caroline's nerves by down playing the level of stardom our dear family has achieved. As a result, I may have caused some minor issues between her and her boyfriend", he took a swig straight out of the bottle this time, "Got to say, not really sorry about that last one, mate seems like a massive wanker."

Elijah ignored the last part of his defense.

"Down played...how exactly?"

"I may have assured her that there was no way the guy could possibly find out about our date because there was no way in hell anyone would ever bother to pay attention to the attendees of a little Salvatore gala", Klaus murmured.

His brother raised an eyebrow. However instead of a lecture, he simply gave a nonchalant shrug.

"So, go ahead. You've ruined her life, now move on. That's what you typically do...unless you've suddenly become one for apologies?"

"Don't be ridiculous Eli-"

Elijah barely let him get the words out of his before barking out his next question.

"Then why? Why does it matter whether our meeting with Miss Forbes is conducted in your presence or not?"

Klaus' nostrils flared wide at his sibling's interrogation. He hated to be questioned, he found it demeaning, condescending even.

"Are you questioning me?", he seethed.

"I sign your checks Niklaus. I have proved myself a worthy business partner as well as a worthy agent. Such an issue has never been a problem before? Why now, why with her?"

"Because I should be involved!", he roared.

Elijah was unflinching.

"Involved in the deal? Or in her life?", he fired.

Klaus was taken aback by Elijah's sudden outburst, and even more taken aback by the lack of response in his head. He stared blankly at his older brother, and faster than his drunken reflexes could process, Elijah snatched a stool from in front of a nearby easel and sat squarely in front of him. His face furrowed in concern.

Klaus leaned backwards uncomfortably.

"Personal space Elijah, not a forgotten concept."

Elijah didn't even seem to notice that he had spoken, instead leveling his stare with Klaus' before speaking. He took a long breath and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Don't go there brother", he recited seriously.

Klaus looked at him incredulously.

"Excuse me?", he demanded. An obvious look of irritation settling upon his otherwise handsome features.

"Niklaus, don't do this. Okay? Don't go there. Just...let the girl be and move on. It's what's best for everyone involved", he answered.

Klaus stood up in a flash, sobering at a moment's notice. He took a step towards the man in front of him, his expression twisting into one of rage.

"I'm not sure what you're implying brother, but don't you ever dare presume you are in a place to make demands of me", he growled.

Elijah's glare softened, but not out of fear or intimidation.

"Leave her be Nik", he said again, using the rare term of endearment. "What you're doing? The anger? The fight you're looking for? It's with Tatia, not Caroline. She's not her, and you can't spend the rest of your life hurting people Niklaus...Your family may come back from it, but not everyone will. Not everyone stays when they're hurt. You care about her, somehow, I can tell. I see it in you...and I want you to care brother, we all do...but not for a girl who can't love you", he paused for a moment, and let a hand rest for a moment on Klaus' bicep. "Me, Rebekah, Henrik...we can't bring you back from that again", he said solemnly.

A look of hurt flashed for the quickest of moments across his face before disappearing completely.

Klaus stepped back from Elijah's hand and took another sip from his glass.

"Get the fuck out", he ordered casually.

Elijah looked down at his younger sibling with a sad understanding. He gave a quick nod a retreated into the hallway.

Klaus let the impact of his brother's words settle in the air around him, before taking the glass in his hand and smashing it forcefully against the wall, watching the glass break into a billion little sparkling shards.

Caroline's POV

Caroline used her hip to shove open the large wooden door to Lexi's flat, her arms overflowing with snacks and bottles of wine.

"A little help?", she panted, wedging a heeled foot in between the door way. A set of manicured fingers wrapped themselves around the interior knob and pulled the door open.

"Sorry! Sorry! I was trying to keep the brownies from burning!", Lexi cried apologetically.

Caroline let her arms fall, sending her items sprawling onto the cushions of her friend's massive designer couch.

She raised an eyebrow, suspicious of anything that involved Alexia Branson and an oven.

"And Stefan?", she asked, inquiring about her friend's whereabouts.

"Who do you think is actually keeping the brownies from burning", a familiar voice called from the kitchen.

Caroline let herself crack a small smile.

"Ahhhhhh, now that sounds more like it."

Lexi pulled an unsoiled oven mitt off her opposite hand and flung it in Caroline's direction.

"Rude!", she chided with a giggle.

The two girl collapsed onto the couch ends while Stefan came bustling out of the kitchen with three empty wine glasses, placing them on the coffee table and falling back into a plush chair.

Lexi leaned forward and uncorked a bottle of the Tesco Rosé Caroline had brought. "Thank you so much, I'm such a dumbass. Leave it to me to invite everyone over for drinks and forget to buy the wine. Seriously I'm eternally grateful."

Caroline giggled and sat up, tucking one of her legs toward herself at the knee. She held her wine glass in front of Lex expectantly while the other girl poured.

"Don't be. I did bring the cheap stuff after all", she joked, taking the bottle from Lexi and filling Stefan's glass as well.

Stefan raised the glass and smiled before taking a sip.

"You look nice", he nodded towards Caroline, "a lot cleaner than I would think coming from the site of a murder."

Caroline tilted her head sideways and looked at him analytically.

"I'm confused, are we no longer first commander of the Fuck Caroline Brigade?"

Stefan gave her a small look of shame and glanced down at his lap.

"You were right", he said quietly.

"What was that Stef? Say it louder for the people in the back", Lexi chimed in.

"I said you were right, the other morning", he expressed with more assurance and a cutting look at Lexi. "You're an adult. You know what you're doing and I know that it's just...you're just as much of my family as Lex, and sometimes I take the whole protector role a little too seriously. I let my feelings for Klaus influence that, but you can handle yourself."

He said the last sentence as if he was assuring himself as well, and she couldn't help but break into a small smile.

"I forgive you. Besides, Klaus Mikaelson is the last thing you have to worry about anymore."

Lexi raised an eyebrow and made eye contact with Stefan, leaning against the back of her seat and putting her feet up on the ottoman.

"Really? And why is that?", she asked.

"Because", she sighed, "At some point I let him become more than a colleague and look what it's done. I've almost destroyed my relationship with you and my relationship with Tyler and it's barely been a week!"

"So he found out?", Stefan asked.

She took a large gulp of her wine and nodded, in no mood to discuss their conversation in full.

"I told him Klaus was nobody, and I don't want to have to lie anymore than I already have."

Lexi gave a small nod of understanding, though the look on her face said otherwise.

"And Klaus? I take it you didn't get the apology you were looking for."

Caroline let out a curt laugh. "Yeah I don't think the word 'sorry' is in his vocabulary Lex. All I got was a bad introduction to Bekah the Barbie and one of his narcissistic psychoanalyses." She rolled her eyes and set the wine glass on the table next to her. "It doesn't matter anyways, as far as I'm concerned I just have to make it through this stupid dinner and then Elijah can handle the show from there."

"Dinner?", Stefan asked curiously, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.

"Yup", she sighed, popping the p, "Apparently Elijah and Finn set up some business meeting with Klaus and I over dinner tomorrow night. I'm hoping it's the last time I'm forced into a room with anyone in the Mikaelson bloodline for at least another decade."

"Where?", Lex asked suddenly.

"I don't know", Caroline shrugged, "The address is someplace an hour or two outside of the city, the restaurant isn't exactly my top priority."

Stefan's hand clenched uncomfortably and he exchanged another suspicious glance with Lexi, one Caroline noticed this time.

"So do you guys wanna give me the low-down on what you're both thinking? Because I thought the whole brotherly telepathy thing was just a you and Damon trick", she questioned.

Neither of the pair acknowledged her inquiry.

"God he's good", Lex shook her head, "Has he always been this good?"

Stefan looked equally dumbstruck, "I think the word you're looking for is 'conniving' Lex."

Caroline stuck her arm straight in the air and waved in wildly.

"The word I'm looking for is 'explanation', please and thank you seeing as I still have no idea what the two of you are talking about", she said more impatiently this time.

Lexi turned towards her with apologetic eyes. "Sorry sweetie, but you're not going to a business meeting."

She narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Huh?"

Stefan reached over her lap and grabbed her glass of wine from the side table, placing it back in her open hand.

"For as long as I've know Klaus...each week for the last 27 years, the Mikaelsons have reserved Sunday nights for one thing", he began.

Caroline looked justifiably confused by the pair's dramatics.

"Human sacrifice? Satanic worship?", she asked jokingly.

"Worse", Lexi cut in, "Family dinner."

Caroline choked on the gulp of wine she was taking.

"That address you were talking about? Outside the city? It's not a restaurant, it's Mikaelson Manor", Stefan instructed.

"And it won't just be Elijah, Finn, and Klaus in attendance", Lexi warned.

"There's Sage, the twins, Rebekah, Henrik", the pair went back and forth listing off names as if it were a class roll sheet.

"Kol", the two said in unison.

The color drained from Caroline's face, leaving it a pale sheet of white.

"I'm sorry what?", she demanded. "No. No, no way. That's not possible I mean have you seen them together? They hate each other. And now you're telling me they all sit around a Sunday roast and sing Kumbaya? No way, not buying it."

"Hey, we're not pretending we understand the ways of Britain's most fucked up family okay? We're just trying to give you a heads up. God knows we've seen enough of them", Lexi explained.

"We?", Caroline asked perplexed.

Lexi's cheeks bloomed a light shade of pink and Stefan tried to suppress a grin.

"Believe it or not, Alexia has been to her fair share of Sunday night dinners. Her and Beks used to be quite the BFFs", he mocked teasingly.

"Only because she thought being my friend would make it that much easier to fuck you", Lexi snapped back.

"Ew, okay I so did not want to hear that", Caroline interrupted, holding a hand to her head and trying to clear the thoughts of the blonde she had met earlier that day seducing her best friend.

"Didn't want to hear about it? Imagine living it", Lexi emphasized, shivering in disgust.

Caroline shook her head, overwhelmed. She tipped her glass back and chugged rapidly, emptying it of its contents. Stefan was quick to rip the stem from her grip.

"Woahhhh, easy there Care Bear", he reprimanded.

She reached for the bottle instead.

"Can you blame me? I thought I was trying out for the high school football team tomorrow and now you two are telling me I'm playing the fucking Super Bowl!", she shouted.

Lex laid a manicured hand across Caroline's knee.

"Care it's fine, seriously it's no big deal. Just back out, tell Klaus to arrange a real meeting next week", she suggested.

Stefan nodded encouragingly.

Caroline groaned loudly, digging the palms of her hands into her eyes and pulling at her hair.

"I can't! This is what he wants! He's trying to drive me so fucking crazy I let him out of his end of the deal! The press was attempt number one and this is just his next move", she explained.

"So?", Lexi asked confusedly.

"So this is a game to him. He's expecting me to go in blind, freak out, and lose", she spat, taking a bite of a steaming hot brownie and letting the chocolate burn the roof of her mouth. "Well I'm done losing...I don't live like you guys do. This is my job and my livelihood and I'm not letting him play anymore games okay?"

Caroline hoped the last part didn't offended either of her friends. She loved them more than words could express but it didn't make her statement any less of a fact. Lexi and Stefan had been handed everything their entire lives, and while she might not resent them for it, they would never truly know what it was like to build your career from the ground up or risk everything to make sure you had grocery money that month.

Things were going well for Caroline at the moment. She could afford to treat herself to a nice dress or pair of heels on her birthday, or plan a weekend girls trip to the coast with Kat. But it wasn't always like that.

Her first few months in New York had been hard, filled with nights where if Tyler didn't offer to buy dinner, she didn't eat. Rent was never on time and the only doctor she could afford to see was a bottle of Advil. She had worked to get where she was and if there was anything in her life that would remain untouched by fear, it was this.

Fortunately, neither of the two seemed hurt by her brutal honesty.

"Then what's the plan?", Stefan questioned.

"The plan is to go to dinner", Caroline said squaring her chest. "I charm, I smile, I laugh at all the right jokes, undo that horrid first impression I gave Rebekah. I convince Finn and Elijah that me and the gallery are perfectly worthy investments...and I don't let him trip me up", she stated methodically.

"And you think you can do that?", Stefan reiterated.

Caroline looked down at her hands, inspecting the chocolate wedged underneath her unpainted fingernails. She would have to get those fixed before tomorrow evening.

Lexi picked up on her unsureness and raised her glass in a toast.

"I'm sure she can. To Caroline and her plans, may one of them work out in her favor", she chimed.

The salutation was meant as a joke, but the air in the room felt more like that of a wake, Lexi and Stefan sending her to her grave. So far London had bestowed Caroline with a mess of failed plans and entangled dealings that showed no signs of stopping, but as she downed her glass of Rose she hoped that maybe this time, Lexi was right.

SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER

CAROLINE'S POV

Caroline exited her Taxi and thanked the driver profusely. She was sure the hour long journey must have cost a small fortune for a city cab, but Stefan had insisted on paying seeing as how he "didn't want to deal with a lost Caroline in the English countryside". The driver nodded and parked further down the road, a few hours to kill before she was released from the dreaded dinner.

Klaus' home could barely be called a house. She didn't have the stats in front of her but she was willing to bet the estate would easily put Cinderella's castle to shame. The largest building of the two faced front, adjacent to the private road they had driven down. Past a large cast iron gate lay a lengthy cobblestone path that led to a set of massive oak doors. The place looked like something out of an old storybook.

After managing to pull her jaw from the ground, she looked down and ran her hands over her torso, attempting to smooth out her outfit.

She had spent nearly two hours digging through every article of clothing packed away in her suitcase before surrendering completely. While Caroline had packed plenty of flowy sundresses and printed blouses suitable for whatever brunch-time activities Alexia Branson could think of, the only night time attire she had thought to bring were oversized collegiate tees and clubbing outfits. And something told Caroline the only Mikaelson who would appreciate her clad in a tight leather mini dress was Klaus himself.

Lex had eventually come to her rescue, loaning her a beautiful black square neck dress that clung tightly to her figure but landed modestly below her knees, pairing the ensemble with a pair of pointed nude heels. The look was appropriate yet elegant, or at least those were the words Lexi had used while doing her makeup.

After deciding that this was the best it was going to get, Caroline hoisted the thin chain of her bag onto her shoulder and stepped forward, jabbing a finger at the glowing button next to the gate.

A speaker crackled to life beside her.

"Mikaelson Residence", the posh voice of an unknown man buzzed loudly.

"Hi- um, It's Caroline, or I mean I'm Caroline. Caroline Forbes? I'm supposed to be-"

Her words were cut short by the loud creaking of the metal gate swinging open before her.

"Miss Forbes, do come in, the Mikaelsons are expecting you."

Maybe it was the creepy British butler but suddenly it felt all too much like Caroline was walking into some Vampiric death layer. Regardless, she pushed forward on her path, keeping her eyes trained on the cobblestone beneath her in an attempt to steady herself.

Upon reaching the door Caroline raised her arm and pulled back the large brass knocker, letting it fall in a resounding slam. The door swung moments later and she was greeted by a familiar looking stranger.

He was tall and slim, his hair dark like Elijah's but falling shaggily in front of his face. The boy looked to be around Caroline's age and was dressed in a worn leather jacket and distressed band t-shirt. She could almost laugh at the contrast of his appearance to her own formal dinner attire.

"Well hello Love. Nobody informed me the dinner guest was a bloody fit bird", he said, eyeing her body up and down.

If Caroline doubted before that the man in front of her was Kol Mikaelson, she was sure about it now.

"Thanks...I think", she responded, giving him an awkward smile.

Kol simply responded with a wink and another pointed glare at her chest before stepping back and welcoming her inside.

The home was gorgeous. While the outside may have seemed like outdated gothic elegance, the interior was beautifully modern, with smooth marble floors and stunning pieces of contemporary art around every corner. She was so busy marveling at the decor that she almost failed to notice the flock of people that had gathered before her.

Before she could say anything she felt a familiar but unwelcome hand at the small of her back.

"Hello Love", Klaus whispered into her ear, "Sorry about the venue...bit strange I know, but it seems nobody was willing to reschedule family dinner for the sake of our meeting", he shrugged, a cheeky smile tugging lightly at the corners of his lips.

Caroline simply shrugged knowingly. "Aren't you going to introduce me then?"

Klaus looked down at her curiously, confused by her non-reaction. His forehead creased and the grin faded from his face.

Even in her heels Klaus still towered over her, causing her to look up at him for the first time that night.

"You might be one step ahead of me Klaus, but next time you might wanna check that you're one step ahead of my friends", she whispered, reaching behind her back and prying his hand away, striding confidently ahead and hoping her facade of assurance wasn't as transparent as it felt.

Caroline stopped short of Elijah and stuck her hand out in front of her. "Elijah, It's nice to see you again. Thank you for the invitation, you're home is beautiful as expected", she greeted.

Elijah smirked both at her hello and obvious shirk of his younger brother, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips in a chaste kiss.

"Of course Miss Forbes, always a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please, allow me to introduce you to our family", he responded, leading her by the arm.

She was led first to a man maybe five or so years older than Elijah. Unlike her first greeting, Finn simply took her hand in his own and gave it a firm shake.

"Miss Forbes. Please meet my wife, Sage, and these are our children", he turned to face the petite boy and girl standing next to him, "Andre, Ali, say hello."

The twins may not have been identical, but had Ali's hair been cut a bit shorter they certainly could have tricked her. The pair glanced up at her, Andre giving a shy and cautious glance while his sister waved her little hand rapidly.

They were like a perfect genetic mix of their parents, with Sage's firey red hair and Finn's brown eyes.

Sage stuck her hand out as well, less forcefully than her husband.

"Caroline", she smiled, "it's not everyday we get dinner guests around here."

"Consider me honored then", she laughed in response.

It was then that someone approached from behind her, clearing their throat. Both her and Elijah turned, coming face to face with the cheeky boy who had invited her inside.

Elijah gave his younger brother a reprimanding look before turning towards Caroline.

"Miss Forbes this is-"

"I can make my own introductions E but thanks", he interupted, leaning forward and giving her an abrupt kiss on the cheek. She nearly jumped back in surprise. "I am Kol, the rugged, mysterious, musically inclined...single brother", he finished.

"Nice to know", a sarcastic female voice called out, "god knows we were all worried you'd finally knocked up whatever infantile model you'd decided to date this week."

Caroline turned to look and made eye contact with the same blonde she had met the day before, her palms beginning to sweat.

Rebekah looked classy as always in a mid length purple lace sundress, her hair in soft ringlets that fell just below her chest.

Elijah sighed quietly at his combative siblings, lifting a hand in his sister's direction.

"Rebekah this is-"

"Oh we've met", she smiled cooly, "I was nearly convinced you wouldn't have the guts to show up."

Caroline's face blushed pink and she heard the familiar lilt of Klaus's voice.

"Now now Rebekah, and you wonder why we never have dinner guests", he clucked, handing Caroline a glass of dark liquor, "If we've managed all the familial introductions now might be a good time to exit the foyer and stop circling Miss Forbes like prey. Agreed?"

Elijah's shoulders sagged slightly in defeat, a small acknowledgment that his typical prim and proper business meeting would not be occurring this evening.

The family slowly began to disperse into what looked like one of many parlors, and she couldn't help but give Klaus a small appreciative glance before attempting to walk away.

"You're welcome", he whispered latching a hand around her wrist.

Her look of gratitude froze over. "I'm welcome?"

"Yes", he nodded, "for your valiant rescue back there. Quite chivalrous if I say so myself", he incited.

"You led a lamb to slaughter and then tossed it a carrot, congrats", she snapped, trying futilely to yank her arm away.

"You're mad", he commented.

Caroline looked at him in disbelief. "Fuck off", she seethed.

He snarled reflexively, caught off guard by her insult.

"Nobody has signed a contract yet Caroline. I've had plenty of opportunity to walk away from your pathetic little gallery but I haven't. Show some appreciation will you", he patronized.

"Appreciation? God do you even hear yourself?", she marveled in sick wonder at his demand the way you might marvel at an animal in the zoo. "I'm mad? You think? I'd be even more pissed if I hadn't known at all."

"Yes but then at least I would have the very entertaining element of surprise", he smirked.

She let out a grunt of frustration and shook her head.

"Do you need to be such an ass all the time? Seriously. Was there a reason you couldn't just bring me to your goddamn office to do this? Maybe a nice fish and chips place?", she whispered loud and frantic.

His face turned from one of devilish mischief to uncertain frustration.

"Would you have wanted me there?", he asked suddenly.

Caroline stopped the feverish yanking to regain control of her arm.

"What?", she asked, taken aback by his question.

"If Elijah had set up a meeting himself, would you have asked me to come?", he repeated.

No! She screamed internally, thinking back to her earlier pledge to Stefan and Lexi that she desired never to see Klaus again.

Why then, was it so hard to say that now, to his face?

Her answer remained unchanged, but there was now a small pang of hurt in her gut at the reality of cutting him off in person.

"No", she sighed finally, "After everything? No, I wouldn't have."

Klaus looked at her, his stare unbreaking and unrelenting.

"You want to know why I brought you here tonight? That's why", he stated.

She chose not to dissect the hidden meaning of his words at the moment.

"Coerced Klaus, you coerced me into coming here. Smoke and mirrors, that's all you are."

He looked uneasy, like a cornered animal. The demeanor seemed unnatural on him, as if he should've been playing a role.

His discomfort lasted for mere moment before morphing back into a familiar face of condescension and viciousness.

"God Forbes if you're as much of a killjoy in bed as you are now I get why Tyler cheated", he spat.

The words were cutting, burning red hot on her skin like acid. It was a cheap trick, something she expected at this point and yet, it hurt all the same. While she managed to keep any tears from falling, she couldn't keep her pained expression at bay completely.

"Good one Klaus", she choked out.

Somebody coughed loudly from the doorway, their heads snapping simultaneously in the direction of the intruder.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything", Rebekah said, her voice a false apology, "I was just going to see if perhaps Caroline wanted a tour of the manor, that is unless you're preoccupied."

Caroline took a step back, eager to escape anymore of the man's wrath. Still, trading Klaus for Rebekah seemed like trading a Rottweiler for a Lion...neither outcome seemed favorable.

"I'd love a tour", she squeaked, rushing out of the room ahead of the other woman before he could protest.

Caroline walked ahead of Rebekah for a few minutes before stopping suddenly, realizing she had no clue where she was leading the pair.

Rebekah scoffed under her breath.

"I was wondering when you'd let the tour guide do some of the navigation", she quipped.

Caroline nervously twisted her hands together in front of her.

"I'm sorry I was just-"

"Eager to get away from my brother? Yes the air of tension between you two is quite obvious." When Caroline didn't respond Rebekah continued. "Nik may veil his emotions well but you on the other hand? I can read you like a book."

Caroline chose to ignore her analysis, still reeling over their earlier exchange.

"This place is gorgeous, really. I think Klaus told me at some point that you designed it, well not designed, but decorated. The house I mean- house? Mansion? I guess you can't really call it a house but-"

"Are you always this chatty when you're nervous?", Rebekah asked plainly.

Heat bloomed across Caroline's face. If she wanted a response, she didn't wait very long.

"Yes. The interior was completely designed by me."

"Is that a passion of yours? Design?", Caroline asked with genuine interest.

As far as she knew Rebekah was unlike her brothers in the pursuit of a side profession. The media made it seem as if her role as a socialite was a full time job.

The other girl looked at her curiously, her blue eyes searching for a hidden meaning behind her words, an ulterior motive. Caroline imagined Rebekah wasn't the kind of girl many people got to know. Instead, they knew of her and decided that was good enough.

"I suppose", she answered finally, "but don't inform my brothers. God forbid they know I have hobbies aside from making their lives miserable."

Caroline cracked a small grin and the girls sat in silence before the painting for several minutes, sipping their respective drinks.

"Rebekah...I wanted to apologize. The way I acted yesterday at the office...that wasn't me. I was stressed and frustrated and...and I'm sorry."

Rebekah shifted uncomfortably in her stilettos.

"I hope you'll understand Caroline, us Mikaelson's aren't the greatest at apologies, giving or receiving", she coughed out.

"Well then", she began, "I hope you'll accept mine and we never have to speak of it again."

A ghost of a smile passed Rebekah's lips and she nodded once.

"I meant what I said yesterday Miss Forbes. You're smart, and I like you", she emphasized this as if it was a truly rare occurrence, something Caroline didn't doubt. "I do hope you won't be too hard on my brother."

She choked ever so slightly on her drink, hoping the other girl wouldn't notice.

"I would hardly say he's been easy on me", she said bitingly, her tone more defensive than intended.

Rebekah smiled, but there was a hint of sadness to it. "I don't think he's been easy on anyone. I'm not sure he knows how", she paused, taking a long sip of her. "I know I may simply seem like an overprotective sister...and I know he seems...cruel. It would be a lie to tell you he isn't, but the world has not been kind to him Caroline...Nik's humanity is in there, it's simply that nobody ever sticks around long enough to unearth it", she said wistfully.

Caroline used her straw to fiddle with the ice in her glass, unprepared for the sudden display of emotion.

"Rebekah...I'm not sure if you realize, but there's nothing going on between your brother and I", she explained.

Much to her surprise the other girl just shrugged nonchalantly.

"Okay", she responded simply, "If you'll excuse me then, dinner will be ready soon. I trust you can find your way back to the dining room on your own."

Caroline gave her a quizzical look as Rebekah turned on her heel and began her descent back towards the hallway they had come from.

"You believe me?", she blurted out.

Rebekah didn't turn around, but rather stopped dead in her path.

"What?", she asked, "That there's nothing going on between you and my brother?"

Caroline gave a small umph of confirmation.

"Of course not", she answered, glancing back at Caroline, "but would that change any of the opinions you hold so dear?"

She ignored Rebekah's question, instead posing one of her own.

"Have you ever considered that maybe your brother isn't who you think he is?"

Rebekah's body went rigid in defense of the accusation before relaxing once again.

"I heard what he said to you back there Caroline, and he didn't mean it", she said softly.

The rational girl inside her head already knew that, knew that it was just cheap shot to get under her skin. But she didn't know how to be rational around Klaus.

"How do you know?", Caroline asked doubtfully.

The other girl turned her head back and continued on her path, her words trailing behind, hanging in the air.

"My brother may be good at hiding his emotions Miss Forbes, but I'm better at figuring them out."

In many ways Caroline found herself terrified by Rebekah's words, the knowledge that there were others who could make out the faint glimpses of light hiding behind the darkness Klaus shrouded himself in. It was so much easier to hate him when she knew everyone else did as well, when searching for the good that nobody else could see made you the odd man out.

She didn't want to have Klaus' humanity in common with Rebekah, not when her hope in him turned out bitter and useless time after time.

Caroline swallowed and watched the blonde fade into a distant silhouette. She eventually snapped out of her trance, waiting a moment before attempting to trace the sound of Rebekah's footsteps, unable to guide herself through the mansion on her own.

When the subtle click faded completely she found herself in the middle of an unknown hallway. An open door revealed a savory aroma of roasting meat.

Figuring the only thing past the kitchen must be the dining room she powered forward toward the end of the corridor when a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She jumped in terror, letting out a small squeal and bringing her hand to her chest in relief at the sight of glossy red hair.

"I'm sorry!", Sage rushed, "I wasn't trying to scare you."

Caroline smiled and shook her head.

"You're fine", she giggled, "I just scare easy, always have...probably doesn't help that some of these hallways look like the set of the Adams Family."

Sage let out a small breathy laugh.

"Yeah, most of the place is renovated but some of the older wings give me the creeps too. Were you looking for Klaus?"

Caroline didn't bother with the implications of Sage's question, instead tossing her thumb back and pointing to the door at the end of the hallway.

"Rebekah actually, she kind of abandoned me back there", she said awkwardly, "Anyways, smelled the kitchen, saw the door-"

"And you thought dining room", Sage finished. "Good guess, but no. That door at the end just leads to the old servant rooms. If you think this is freaky, you definitely don't want to hang out in there.", she informed casually.

Caroline's eyes widened, thinking back to the man who had quickly taken her coat the moment she stepped inside.

"Servants?", she repeated with shock.

Sage gave her a odd look before realizing the implication of her comment, "Oh no not anymore! Trust me they aren't that old fashioned", she assured Caroline with a chuckle. "I mean we still have a staff; George, the cooks, a groundskeeper, some ladies from town who do the weekly housekeeping, but none of them live here", she explained. "None of us have time to care for the estate on our own, but those rooms are all storage now, very very creepy storage. Think Downton Abbey, but with more cobwebs."

Caroline nodded in understanding and let Sage guide her by the arm back through the winding hallways from which she had came.

"So you're from America", Sage noted.

"Born and raised"

"Lucky, I've never been", she sighed.

Caroline raised her eyes in surprise considering the grandeur of their lifestyle.

"Finn doesn't like to travel too much, when it comes to business he usually sends Lijah or Nik to deal with the Americans...no offense!", she added quickly.

"None taken", Caroline smiled.

Do you ever miss it?", she asked, "My parents are only in Ireland and I miss them constantly."

Caroline considered her question.

"Sometimes", she shrugged. "I miss my home from time to time. I miss the city...I guess I've just never been that close with my family. Divorced parents, absentee dad, overworked mom, etcétera. My friends from home, my boyfriend...it's hard not having them here but that's life you know?"

"I get it", Sage nodded, "I was only seventeen when I left home for London."

Caroline glanced at her with surprise. She could tell from her accent that Sage wasn't English, but had never stopped to consider how she'd come here.

"You miss it, but eventually you start to see that maybe there's more that lies ahead of you than what you left behind. At least that's how I felt when I met Finn."

A look of nostalgia settled over Sage's features.

"Well it seems to have worked out pretty well", Caroline smiled thinking of the set of twins she'd met earlier.

"I guess you could say that", she laughed, "and It'll work out for you too, as long as you let it."

Sage looped an arm through her own and pulled her around a corner, insisting that dinner would be served soon.

Caroline was unsure whether the Mikaelsons had picked up on it, but they certainly had a knack for ending conversations with foreboding, proverb-esque words of wisdom. She turned her face from Sage's and caught her breath when she saw a slender shadow dart across the hallway.

"Um Sage...there's no chance these very creepy store rooms are haunted right?", she asked quietly.

The redhead knit her brows together, "Not that I know of, why?"

Caroline stuck her arm out and pointed to the far end of the hallway.

"Because I'm pretty sure I just saw the ghost of some little Victorian boy sprint out from that room"

Sage traded her concerned expression for one of humored understanding and sighed.

"Henrik's going through a bit of a goth phase at the moment. God help me the day the twins become teenagers."


	15. The Dinner Part 2

KLAUS' POV

Klaus was sat in a large leather arm chair in the corner of his family's sitting room, nursing a grimace and a glass of bourbon. He had fucked up, yet again.

It was a reaction he had wanted from Caroline, and a reaction he got.

Klaus had known the dinner would upset her, however instead of an intimidated young woman forced to cling to his side, he had created a nemesis in the making. Much like the incident in the park the night of the gala, owed apologies were stacking up in Caroline's favor faster than Klaus could count.

He didn't want to admit it, but the possibility that Elijah was right was inevitable. And while Klaus liked to consider himself devoid of fear and consequence, the ominous nature of his brother's words haunted him. He would lose her before he even knew her, just as he had lost Tatia, just as he had lost Stefan, just as he had lost all those who had dared to mark the path of his past.

He stared into the fireplace across the way, watching the flames flicker and flash from hot white to a brilliant orange, barely noticing the shift in weight as an unwelcome companion took a seat on the spacious chair arm.

"Did you need something Kol?", he asked in a gravely voice, his eyes refusing to break from the fire.

He heard the telltale sound of clinking ice and listened to his brother chug the remainder of his drink before clearing his throat.

"As a matter of fact brother, I do."

"And that would be?", Klaus continued, more impatient this time.

"Information. Namely, Caroline's phone number, favorite color, hotel room number, and go ahead and throw in her Zodiac if you've got that as well", he listed.

Klaus' fingers tightened, straining against the delicate crystal of his tumbler.

"And why would you need that?", he growled lowly.

Kol glanced down at him from his seated position with obliviousness.

"So I can shag her obviously, not everyday a girl with an arse like that gets dropped on your doorstep. I like to think of it as divine intervention."

Klaus could feel anger bubbling up in him, like bile running a reverse route from his stomach to his chest. Kol meant no harm, he simply had the unalienable desire to sleep with anything with a pulse. However he could feel his rage like the strings of a guitar pulled taught across his chest, tightening and snapping one by one.

"Fuck off", he sighed simply.

Klaus set his unfinished glass on the side table, lacing his fingers together in his lap and tipping his head backwards, letting his eyes fall shut in the process. Henrik may have been the youngest, but Kol was strides behind even him in emotional maturity. Sometimes, if you were able to withstand his persistence, he would grow bored and attempt to find amusement in another toy.

"Come on Nik, It's not as if I'm going to make a move in front of Elijah. I assure you your little deal will go undisturbed, at least let your little brother have a bit of fun in the process", he whined, widening his eyes at his brother like a child.

The veins in Klaus' neck strained unintentionally at the blatant objectification of Caroline, his mouth twitching at the corner. Kol noticed, narrowing his eyes in response.

"That is unless you were planning on having your fun with her first", he snickered, nudging the other man's shoulder. "Don't see why that means I can't have a go as well, I mean what's sharing amongst brothers?"

Klaus' hand shot up, wrapping his finger's tightly around Kol's wrist in a vice-like grip, pulling the boy's face towards his own.

"Kol Mikaelson, if you have not yet noticed, I am not in the mood to be tested this evening. So I am going to generously advise that anymore of your remarks remain unspoken and that you stay far far away from Miss Forbes. Do I make myself clear?", he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper, but deadly all the same.

Kohl's face shifted from one of mirth, to fear, to confusion at his brother's outburst, a look of realization passing over his features.

"You like her", he stated curiously.

Klaus remained silent.

"That's why you've brought her here tonight, isn't it brother? And here I am, thinking you too had finally outgrown our family's mundane traditions. But you like her", his tone was both surprised and disappointed.

"Drop it Kol", Klaus warned, reaching for his drink once again.

"I mean for fuck's sake Nik I thought we had gotten it out of you with the last one! And now what? We're just going to repeat the past? You take the poor peasant girl, promise to make her career, give her all the success her little heart could desire and in return you ask her to fix you. She decides she's not up to the task, you revert to your arsehole ways, and we all go back to living out the Mikaelson curse of eternal misery. Story sounds a bit familiar don't you think?", Kol laughed humorlessly, downing the rest of the liquor in his glass.

"Drop it", he said more forcefully this time, his lecture oddly reminiscent of Elijah's. Kol gave him a look of wry pity, slapping a hand down on his shoulder.

"You don't know how to do love Nik...none of us do. Love beyond family makes us weak. Have your way, play your game...but get out. The least you could do is try not to fall for this one, I never do and it's gotten me this far"

Kol stood from his seat on the chair and padded towards the doorway.

"We shouldn't keep the others waiting", he called out, beckoning Klaus towards the dining room.

DINNER  
Klaus' POV

Klaus reluctantly pushed himself upwards into a standing position. The liquor settled into his veins and his vision shifted sharply towards the corners of his eyes before for snapping back into place. He wiped a hand down his face and across his jaw, exhaling a drawn-out breath.

He took several long strides toward the open French doors revealing a long oak table surrounded by a dozen ornately carved and cushioned chairs. Finn sat at one head of the table as the eldest, and Klaus fell down on the seat opposite. By seniority the seat belonged to Elijah, but as Caroline was seated towards his end of the table with an overzealous Kol to her side, Klaus quickly claimed the chair as his own.

The dining room was gorgeous as always. While he thought it seemed more fitting for a live action remake of Beauty and the Beast, even Klaus couldn't deny the space's elegance. An ornately embroidered cloth ran the length of the table, secured by elaborately carved gold candelabras and sided by grand chairs, cushioned with heavenly velvet the color of merlot. It was the one room in the manor his sentimental younger sister never had the heart to redecorate.

Caroline kept her eyes straight ahead as he took his seat, ignoring the way his eyes bore into her profile. To his dismay, Elijah quickly snatched the spot to his left.

"Excuse me all", he called, his voice ringing out above Sage and Rebekah's incessant chatter. "Dinner is served."

On command, a small four-person team of waitstaff descended upon the dining room, laying out massive platters of stewed vegetables and glazed meats, silently distributing portions to each of the dinner guests.

"I hope you're alright with lamb", Klaus mentioned to her, "I'm not the biggest fan personally, but the chef does what he can."

She remained response-less, quiet and unmoving, not even to spare a glance in his direction.

A young woman with a freshly opened bottle of Pinot Noir quickly found her way into the space between Caroline and himself. She was dressed in a white button down and black pants, an air of nervousness surrounding her. Usually it was Sage who served everyone dinner, or the chef would just lay it out himself. Clearly Elijah had decided tonight was the night to show out.

"Wine Mr. Mikaelson?", she asked quietly.

Klaus gave a swift nod, allowing the girl to lean forward and replenish his glass before turning towards Caroline.

"Wine Miss Forbes?"

"No thank you, I'm alright." Caroline gave a small shake of her head.

Klaus gave her a curious look.

"She'll take the wine", he said in a low voice, and the waitress immediately reached for the stem of her glass.

"Yes Mr. Mikaelson", she clipped with an apologetic glance towards Caroline, before moving in Kol's direction.

Caroline's eyes shot towards Klaus' immediately, her nostrils flaring on instinct.

"What are you gonna do now?", she spat, "force a feeding tube of Sauvignon Blanc down my throat?"

And so she speaks. He tried to hide the look of satisfaction that his childish demands had been sufficed, instead masking it with cool indifference.

"It's a business meeting Caroline, when a drink is offered, you take it", he stated plainly.

Her anger subdued slightly, her face softening and her body pivoting back in the direction of his other family members.

"Thank you Mr. Mikaelson, but I can handle my own affairs."

"Oh can you? Well I do so appreciate a woman with spunk", Kol piped up to her left.

A small smirk pulled at the corners of her lips.

"Is that what I am? Spunky?", she giggled.

Kol grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a featherlight kiss on the back of her palm. Klaus' throat dried and the veins in his neck strained against his skin, a flash of white heat spreading from the curled fingers of his fists to the rest of his body. Kol was such a little fucker.

"From what I've heard? Very. Your reputation precedes you Miss Forbes", Kol countered with a wink.

Klaus caught his younger brother's eye, narrowing his gaze and sliding a single finger across his throat in warning. The cheeky dimples remained on Kol's face, but the look of light jest faded from his eyes immediately.

The next thirty minutes drawled on slowly, filled with painfully dull small talk. Sage prompted the twins to regale their uncles and aunt with the trails and tribulations of year one, while Kol explained the latest tabloid fiasco revolving around a tour manager's black eye, a broken champagne bottle, and a ten-thousand pound suite at the Bellagio damaged beyond repair. The conversation eventually quieted, slowing to a halt as Finn cleared his throat from the end of the table.

"So Caroline", he piped, "tell us, what is one of New York's best young art curators doing on this side of the Atlantic?"

Caroline jumped slightly at the mention of her name before setting her fork to the side and taking a small sip of wine.

"Oh, um well, assistant curator. I was an assistant curator in New York and the owner of La Galeria de Zorros was the only one in the market willing to give me a shot at management, hence the move to Spain."

Klaus could tell she was trying to still her twiddling fingers in her lap.

"And Barcelona? Do you intend to stay at your gallery permanently?", Elijah cut in.

Her gallery? Why wouldn't she stay? The show would be a smash hit, there'd be no reason for her to leave. And why would Elijah care? Klaus leveled a suspicious glare in his brother's direction and watched his face as it piqued in Caroline's direction.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, "Well, permanently?...No, no I don't think I will."

Klaus' eyes shot towards her. No? No? What the fuck was that supposed to mean! She was going home, back to New York, back to him. Fuck! He hadn't been that bad, had he? His fingers clenched the base of his glass, the muscles in his wrists pulling themselves taught in response.

Elijah shot a quick glance towards Klaus before looking back at Caroline.

"Back to New York then? After the showing? I can imagine how hard it must be, to be away from your family. I'm sure they must miss you, your parents, friends...boyfriend", he said the last word hesitantly, in what Klaus knew was reference to their earlier conversation. His words were almost encouraging, filled with pressure and veiled with curiosity.

Klaus' nostrils flared. It seemed both his brothers were lacking in subtlety.

Caroline glanced back at the plate of half eaten food in front of her, pulling her gaze from Elijah's, her face paling slightly in the process.

"I wasn't planning on going back to New York per say. Me and my...boyfriend", she said the word awkwardly, avoiding Klaus' glaze even more than she already was, "me and my boyfriend- well his job keeps him in Manhattan and mine keeps me here. We make it work", she said shortly with a shake of her head, eager to change the topic. Elijah had the slightest look of displeasure at her response, something that would surely go unnoticed by the others. "Besides, most of my friends are here anyways...the Salvatores, the Bransons, my roommate", she trailed off, waving a hand with nonchalance.

The abnormally polite smile returned to Elijah's face in the blink of an eye.

"Well, a bright young professional such as yourself, looking to transition galleries...should the execution of Niklaus' opening go as planned, It would be my pleasure to pull some strings on my end. I'm sure you realize how far a Mikaelson endorsement can get you in this industry."

"Arrogant much E?", Rebekah called from her end of the table.

Caroline choked on the sip of wine she was taking, grabbing the napkin nearest to her while she sputtered, her eyes watering slightly at the corners.

"Are you serious? Here in London? That would be amaz-"

"No no no", Elijah interrupted softly, "unfortunately the London gallery world is filled with far more pretentious art snobs than there are positions for them to fill. Even I can't change that, but anywhere else you can think of: Paris, Lisbon, Santorini, Berlin. Name a place."

Caroline swallowed quietly, a crestfallen look passing over her features before being replaced with one of intrigue.

Klaus' teeth clamped down on the inside of his cheek, the warm, metallic taste of blood trickling on to his tongue. His anger was building, growing like the flames of an inferno. Elijah could get Caroline a job anywhere in London, any of them could. For fuck's sake Elijah could probably make her Queen Elizabeth's private fucking art collector. He was punishing him. If he couldn't buy Caroline Forbes the first plane ticket back to JFK and her boyfriend, he would surely try his best to lure her as far away from Klaus as possible.

"Elijah", Klaus cut in in a gravely voice.

"I have a contact at the National Gallery in Prague, and a fellow I knew in University accepted a position at the Louvre a while back. Or if building a collection from the ground up is your passion, I'm sure we could work something out there as well-"

"Elijah", Klaus growled again, this time with more force.

He didn't get to do this. Brotherly advice was one thing, a helpless device to be ignored and discarded. But this, this was subversion. Who was Elijah to decide his fate, to decide what -if anything- the pair would become. His brother's stance was clear, if Klaus could not leave her be, Elijah would leave him with nothing.

Caroline finally shot a glance in his direction, taking in his darkened eyes and the veins pushing against the fine skin of his forehead.

"Besides", Elijah continued, "I'm sure you'd rather work in a city where you could make a name for yourself, without all the competition, the bureaucracy of the British-"

"ELIJAH", Klaus roared, slamming his glass down on the oak table with a resounding crack.

For the first time that night Elijah met his brother's eyes, a discernible hint of sympathy behind an otherwise unmoved expression.

"Niklaus", he responded, taking note of the red wine trickling like blood from his hand to his forearm, "perhaps you should excuse yourself, get cleaned up."

Klaus shoved his chair backwards from the table, the creaking of the scraping wood in deafening contrast to the silence that befell his family.

"Fuck you", he spat, shoving himself to his feet and storming towards the gargantuan spiral staircase.

Caroline's POV

Caroline stared at the now empty seat at the head of the table, her mouth slightly agape. For the most part, the dinner following their earlier brawl had been quiet, with Klaus resolving to keep his mouth shut and Caroline ignoring the pointed stares he sent in her direction. In comparison, the resulting shock of the last several minutes felt like that of an atom bomb. She glanced over to where Sage was staring the twins down with an equally exhausted and ferocious gaze.

"And what don't we do?", she prompted.

"Repeat Uncle Niklaus", the twins said in unison.

"And why don't we do that?", she asked again.

"Because we don't use bad words", they answered on command.

At that very moment Rebekah hissed out, "For fuck's sake Elijah, was that really necessary?", clearly ignoring the lesson Sage was attempting to engrain in Andre and Ali's malleable little brains. Realizing her mistake she shot a quick apologetic glance at the sister-in-law now scooping up the ginger-haired tots with the assistance of her husband and dragging them into the other room.

"Rebekah if you would like to join him you are more than welcome", he said sternly, sliding the napkin from his lap and folding it into even thirds.

Next to Rebekah, an otherwise silent Henrik ripped an earbud out of the spot it had occupied all evening. Caroline had suspected that this was the reason Klaus seemed to adore his youngest brother the most, he didn't speak.

"Seriously Lijah? You're dismissing us from the table now?", he questioned. Henrik's voice was quiet but crackly, stuck in the awkward teenage transition of boy to man. It was much like that of his appearance. He had Elijah's dark hair and Finn's rather plain eyes, both paired with an unmistakable jawline belonging to Klaus. He hadn't quite grown into it yet, and the fair skin of his child-like face seemed almost gaunt in contrast, stretched across his pointed jaw.

"I am not dismissing anyone Henrik, should Niklaus elect to act like a child I should elect to treat him like one", he responded.

"You're electing to be a total wanker", Henrik whispered under his breath, shoving an earbud back in and stabbing at another forkful of roast.

"Henrik Mikaelson", Elijah seethed.

Caroline slowly braced her hands against the edge of the table and pushed her chair backwards. It was clear this conversation was becoming much more personal than she was equipped to handle, and it didn't take a code-breaker to realize that Elijah's offers of advancement were about much more than her talent.

"If you'll excuse me I think I should...find the bathroom", she finished quickly, rushing out of the room before anyone could protest and ducking behind one of its wooden archways, pausing momentarily to reorient herself.

Their voices were muffled by the short distance and clattering from the nearby kitchen, but not so muffled that she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"You wonder! You wonder why Niklaus hates coming here, why he refuses to entertain the demands of the company. It's because you treat him like an invalid!", Rebekah spat in hushed tones.

"Would you rather I sit there and watch him repeat the last year of his life?", Elijah challenged.

"He's an adult!"

"He's my brother! And I am trying to protect him!", he shouted with an uncharacteristic lack of decorum.

Caroline pulled her ear away from their direction, suddenly feeling more like an intruder than a welcomed guest. Her eyes panned slowly to the staircase Klaus had ascended just moment's beforehand as she tried to resist the odd, gravitational pull beckoning her towards the steps.

Hesitatingly, she toed the edge of the first step, gripping the rail and balancing herself there in a state of awkward contemplation. Logical Caroline, the Caroline that knew right from wrong, the Caroline that prided herself on her sense responsibility, the Caroline with a penchant for mantras like "Ignore Klaus, he doesn't matter" and "We love Tyler" and "You're innocent, you've done nothing wrong" was anchored to the floor tiles like a cinderblock. Then there was Reckless Caroline, the Caroline that demanded she stop letting others make all her decisions for her, the Caroline that slowly found herself climbing, step after step after step, until she landed at the end of a dimly lit hallway.

It wasn't hard to figure out which room was Klaus', the soft melodic sounds of classical music slipped from the cracks beneath the doorway, accompanied by a stream of dimmed light and the subtle warmth of dark liquor and cigarette smoke. Caroline had never realized that sensations could be so personal. It was so uniquely Klaus, this impression, this feeling lingering outside his door. It was like it could never belong to anybody but him.

She didn't bother to knock, the door was unlocked. It was her obviously. If not her, who else? She wound her fingers around the rigid glass knobs and turned, leaning the door open to reveal the shadowed figure of Niklaus Mikaelson, facing away from her, toward an open window pane. She stepped forward and shut the door behind her, watching his shoulders rise and fall by the breath.

He spoke first.

"Did you enjoy the charade?", he asked simply.

Caroline considered the evening's events for a moment before speaking.

"You were right", she said quietly, "The chef did what he could with the lamb."

Klaus smirked. She could feel it, as if it has caused the smallest infinitesimal ripple in the air. With more confidence, Caroline strode away from the door and claimed a spot on the small settee near an empty easel.

The pair sank into the silence of the room, letting in envelope them for what felt like an eternity. Eventually Klaus turned away from the window, heading towards a drinks cart near her.

"I only have Bourbon", he said simply, handing her a glass.

"Bourbon works", she replied, a sip of the spirit washing over her tongue and settling in a warm pool at the base of her stomach.

"Your sister thinks I should go easy on you", she mentioned, using a finger nail to pick at a loose thread in the cushion corner.

"Considering you're here for an apology I'll assume you decided not to heed her request?", he asked, pulling a short wooden stool from the easel and taking a seat across from her own.

Caroline looked up at him, searching his eyes for any hint of cynicism or fury, but she found none.

"I did, but an apology is unnecessary."

His brows raised slightly in question, a slight grimace pulling at his lips.

"And why is that? No apologies needed amongst business partners?"

Caroline leaned forward placing her elbows on her knees and leveling her stare at him, setting her glass on the floorboards near her foot.

"Because I know you didn't mean what you said earlier. You're an ass all the same for saying it, but you didn't mean it."

Klaus' stare remained unchanged.

"And how do you know that Miss Forbes? Did Beks clue you in to that one? Or did you come up with this little theory all by yourself?", he laughed humorlessly, tipping his head back and emptying the remaining contents of his glass.

Caroline stood up and walked towards the desk by the open window, looking up at the smattering of stars over the endless fields below. Stars were hard to come by in London.

"You should come here more often, for the skies I mean. I would", she whispered.

'Is that your final answer?", he asked in a low voice.

Caroline turned back to meet his eye before looking back at the sea of constellations.

"You didn't mean it, because you're not as emotionless as you pretend to be. You're not as vicious as you need the world to believe. You make them all believe you're the big bad wolf, because it's so much easier to make sure everyone in your life sufficiently fucks off that way", she glanced back to see if he was still listening, "I know because I'm the same way"

He chuckled, his voice a low rumble at the base of his throat.

"I'm pretty sure vicious is the last word anyone would use to describe Caroline Forbes."

She didn't answer for several moments, wishing she had held onto her glass of liquor.

"Perfect", she spoke up eventually, "That's the word they would use. Perfect. Perfect little Caroline, always has her life figured out, down to the t. She has the perfect friends, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect career. Everything in her life is just so goddamn magnificent it's a wonder the plot hasn't been auctioned for a fucking film yet, isn't it?"

Klaus didn't answer, so she continued.

"You're not a sadistic as you pretend to be and I'm not as perfect as I pretend to be. We just walk around as these strange, mannequined versions of ourselves and we hope... we hope that eventually we make it out alive."

Suddenly, as if he had been there the whole time, Caroline felt Klaus' presence stationed behind her, close enough to feel his breath rustle the strands of hair resting at the base of her shoulders.

"And do we? Make it out alive?", he asked curiously.

"No", she said, turning around to face him, "No I think we just end up alone."

Klaus' eyes widened slightly, as if he was taken aback by her answer.

"Is that how you feel? Alone?", he inquired, tilting his head to the side.

Caroline stared down at the floor and considered the current state of her life. Was she lonely? She had Stefan and Lexi and Katherine and yet, there was this still this overwhelming ache, the dull pain of some missing piece that she couldn't quite figure out. She felt Klaus take a step forward and her eyes shot up, bracing herself across the edge of the wooden desk.

"Well?", he pushed, his body now barely a hands distance away from her's.

"That's to be decided", she smiled nervously, her fingers knocking a small stack of papers to the ground as they found their grip on the desk's edge. She pulled her eyes from his, breaking his gaze, and bent down, sweeping the fallen sheets into her hands. Caroline let out a small gasp as she noticed the subject of the sketches for the first time.

They were of her, at different angles. She turned them back and forth in her hands, strangely beautiful but unmistakably Caroline. They were done in a soft charcoal, the shadows around her face creating a sort of angelic glow. Slowly, she rose to her feet.

"Klaus these are...", she trailed off, any words she could think of lodged in her throat.

"The nose is off, I know. You prove to be a surprisingly difficult subject Caroline", he whispered, reaching up and tucking a small strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry", she breathed.

He smiled that dimpled, toothless smile at her.

"Don't be."

She felt it again, the lines blurring between them, it rumbled through her like a rift opening in the earth. She thought again of the Caroline at the bottom of the stairs, the Caroline with her mantras. "You're innocent, you've done nothing wrong. You're innocent, you've done nothing wrong. You're innocent, you've done nothing wrong", she tried to repeat it, to let it ring through her brain like a prayer.

She shouldn't be nervous. She should be angry, hostile even.

"I am sorry Caroline", he choked out, the words thick and heavy like molasses on his tongue, "I realize that at times I lack forethought. My intentions were...poor", his defense was careful, like steps on a fault line. "I truly hope this doesn't impact our relationship."

His breath was hot, warmed by liquor and smoke. The apology was rehearsed and robotic, a complete contrast to his voice's typical cadence. But there was hope in his eyes, hope accompanied by the childlike fear that perhaps he had finally gone too far this time. Maybe he was just drunk, but it was the most vulnerable she'd ever seen him, the most vulnerable she imagined he could be. He was the statue of David, and she had spotted a crack in the marble, a glimpse of humanity amongst the inhuman.

She thought of her mantra again.

Was that it? Was that the reason for her anger? Her sadness? Her self-doubt. Was the pursuit of perfection woven so tightly into ever fiber of her DNA that she ignored every cosmic-sized interstate sign trying to direct her? Perhaps she was so obsessed with being the Caroline Forbes everyone else needed that every universal intervention was drowned out by the noise of hapless self-assurances.

Or maybe she was just drunk too.

He leaned his face towards hers, snapping her from her trance.

"Was Rebekah right?", she asked suddenly.

"About what?", he countered, his expression overcome by mild bewilderment.

"Do you deserve all these chances everyone keeps giving you?"

He laughed quietly beneath his breath before peering down at her. It was at that moment she decided Niklaus Mikaelson's mind must be a fascinating place to live. When he studied at you, when he gave you that look that made you feel like he truly saw you, it was like staring into the eyes of someone who knew every answer before you even bothered to ask a question.

But she had, and it was an answer she needed to hear for herself.

"No", he whispered, and that was the last thing Caroline remembered before his face came careening towards her own.


	16. The Realization

Caroline's POV

Caroline couldn't move. Paralysis had struck her body like a venom. Niklaus Mikaelson was kissing her.

She was going to kill him.

It had taken a moment for reality to set in, but sure enough when Caroline regained what she thought was a moment of lost consciousness a pair of hands were entwined firmly around her waist and a pair of lips planted softly against her own.

Was she still breathing? She couldn't tell.

The line that she was so careful to draw at all moments, the constant mark in the sand of where they both stood had been wiped away without warning, and the familiar smell of tobacco and spice and grain were no longer just his. They engulfed her like fog.

Her mouth, drawn into a straight line of resilience began to weaken almost immediately.

This was bad, very very bad.

She wanted to be stiff in his arms, rigid and unyielding. She tried to will herself to into a state of rigor mortis but her efforts were futile. Although unmoving, her body lay pliant and languid against his.

He was kissing her.

Niklaus Mikaelson was kissing her and it was...

heavenly.

Caroline decided if Klaus had ever revealed himself to her as some otherworldly deity it would take nothing more than this moment to prove it true.

It was as if he was consuming her, a moon-like force pulling her into him with the tides, dragging her with a welcomed violence.

And now,

now she was kissing back.

She didn't mean to but fuck Shakespeare may have been onto something with that holy shrine and gentle sin and blushing pilgrims thing.

The edge of the mahogany desk she leant again was digging into her lower spine, pressing her into him like a vice. His Henley was thin and provided no barrier to the ridges of his stomach, her fingers eventually finding anchorage on either side of the valleys of his lower abdomen, welcoming the imprisonment of his arms.

His lips were warm but rough, slightly chapped from the way he bit them in concentration while painting. Her's parted in an unintentional sigh, allowing his tongue entrance to her mouth.

Klaus' hands slid from her waist to her hips as he began to plant frantic kisses down the side of her neck, each one like left like a cigarette burn. He settled for a moment at her collarbone, reaching up beyond her hair and fumbling for the zipper of her dress.

Rational Caroline was probably somewhere losing her goddamn mind right now, but the Caroline sitting here was free. Was this how Klaus felt all the time? It was so easy when you were unburdened by the fears of shame and disappointment.

Rational Caroline tried, but her voice was like a dull echo, a muffled shout into the void.

"What would Lexi say! Lexi, Stefan, your mother!", she called desperately, but the only sensation Caroline found herself grasping onto in this moment was touch, his touch.

She may have wanted to leave, but she couldn't now, not when it was just them, not when his tongue was speaking prayer into her body like a saint. She had come to hell to sin and the only person there to reprimand her was the devil himself.

He yanked down the sleeve of her dress and let his teeth glide over the skin of her shoulder. She shivered, her head tipping back as he moved lower, his breath warming the patch of skin just above the lace of her bra.

Her fingers were fiends, one hand padding lightly against his stomach, eager to discard his shirt while the other tangled itself amongst his now-disheveled hair.

She felt his hands reach for the other sleeve when the door swung open, knocking against the wall with a resounding thud. Caroline gasped and shoved him away from her, her eyes snapping towards the intruder.

There stood a stunned Henrik, hands clasped in front of him and eyes staring pointedly at the floorboards.

Oh god. He had seen everything.

"Lijah asked me to find Caroline and tell you that they'll be serving tea and dessert now", he stammered in discomfort.

Caroline's face flushed a deep scarlet, the realization of where she was and what she'd done colliding with her like an 18-wheeler. Suddenly and uncontrollably, a veil of tears sprung to her eyes and she began to blink rapidly, shoving her dress back into place and scrambling towards her bag.

"Thank you Henrik", she whispered, finding a semblance of her voice, "but I should probably being going."

She walked briskly towards the door and jogged down the stairs, gripping the rail and moving as fast as her heels would allow her. She heard him calling after her, heard a confused Sage and Rebekah ask where she was going, heard the twins shout their goodbyes...but she didn't stop.

She didn't stop until she reached the handle of the taxi waiting for her at the end of the road, yanking the door open and throwing herself onto the backseat, her breath coming to her in jagged gulps.

"Back to London, Miss?", the cabbie asked politely, purposefully ignoring her change in appearance to the hours prior.

"Yes please", she choked, a sob threatening it's way out, "as quickly as possible."

Klaus' POV

"Caroline", he called after her as she started down the hallway, "Caroline wait!"

It was no use, she rushed out the open door before he could clear the first flight of stairs.

Fuck.

He hadn't meant to kiss her.

Well, he had at that moment, but it certainly wasn't the plan in bringing her there that evening. He had meant to rile her up, push her buttons a bit, nothing beyond expectation.

But then she had come to his room. She had followed him and looked at him and declared that perhaps she was one of the few people left on this planet who didn't see him as a lost cause. She, who was funny and beautiful and full of light. She who loved art, and bourbon and apartments on the West End. She, who had been everything beyond expectation from the very start. She was the one factor he hadn't accounted for.

From the moment he saw Caroline Forbes sitting at a hotel bar with a red dress and a bad attitude he had been captivated. He had been drawn from the depths in which he had spent the last month of his life, if only for a short moment.

And from that moment, unbeknownst to her, she was hurting him. She cut him with the sharpened blade of memory, memory of the woman he had so eagerly loved before her, and he hated her for it.

But for all the hate he could muster, it didn't hold a candle to his intrigue, the longing to be pricked by her knife again and again and again.

It was simple. For all the hate he held in his heart for Tatia, it was equally matched by love...a formula he had managed to perfect.

As for Caroline he didn't know. He may have hated the part of her that reminded him of Tatia, but he loved it too, craved it even. So where did Tatia's ghost end and Caroline Forbes begin?

Perhaps Elijah was right. It could be said that for all this time until now, Caroline Forbes had merely been Klaus' voodoo doll, a toy to mangle and mar at his pleasure. A pawn in his hand, to be played at his will.

But the woman who came to his studio, the woman who'd tangled her hands in his hair and breathed his name into the night air, that woman was no ghost of his lost fiancé. She was something beautifully strange and terribly wild.

He stood in the doorway and watched as she rushed down the cobblestone path, moonlit strands of hair trailing in the wind's wake.

Had the years of chess games against Finn taught him nothing? Knowledge of the game was worthless without knowledge of your opponent, and he had been playing an apparition until now.

Elijah had been right, Caroline was not Tatia. And for the first terrifying moment, Klaus realized just how useless pawns could be against a queen.


	17. The Avoidance

KLAUS POV

Klaus exited the elevator of his office's lobby with a 7am grimace plastered across his face.

He was annoyed, and he had been for 48 hours.

He had attempted to reach out to Caroline Forbes approximately 36 times within the past 48 hours, but 18 text messages, 12 calls to her cell and 6 to her hotel lobby later he had gotten nowhere.

Klaus Mikaelson was on the recieving end of radio silence, and he hated it. Quite unfair too if you asked him. For all she knew, he could be having some massive, moral crises-esque mental breakdown himself.

He wasn't of course, regret was the furthest thing from his mind. Confusion however, that was a different story.

Klaus had spent the last two nights absolutely baffled, not about the kiss itself, but about what it meant.

Had it meant anything? To Caroline? To himself? Had he meant to kiss her? Or was it the rage? Or the alcohol? Or both? Why wouldn't she pick up his calls? Was she angry? Or was she confused too? Was she going to break their deal? Return to Spain without another word? What if she already had?

His mind had become an interrogation chamber, an endless barrage of questions knocking about for hours on end.

He needed to see her, to talk to her.

"Good morning Mr. Mikaelson", a high-pitched voice chirped from beyond the now-open elevator doors, snapping him from his trance.

Klaus glanced up and took registry of his secretary. She had made an obvious effort today, her hair loosely curled her ears. Someone must have told her he was coming in this morning.

Styled, her blonde locks reminded him vaguely of Caroline's, feeding his annoyance further.

"There is hardly anything good about it", he snapped, charging past Camille's desk and towards his own office.

He pulled his mobile from his pocket and gave the home button another press, snarling at the lack of notifications.

He needed to talk to her.

He demanded to talk to her, but it's wasn't all that easy when he had no idea where she was to demand things of.

Klaus spared a backwards glance at Camille, now scrolling through Instagram safely away from his sight, before an idea struck him.

Though frequently bombarded with angry emails and links to blog posts showcasing his drunken shenanigans by Elijah, Klaus himself was not one for social media. He had a few accounts run by a press agent in his company for publicity reasons, but aside from that, daily interaction with the millions of people who already felt entitled to every intimate detail of his life sounded like hell on earth.

Still, if Rebekah's numerous frequent but fleeting relationships had taught him anything, it was that at any moment you were mere clicks away from knowing everything there was to know about someone; their birthday, immediate family, interests, criminal record...even their location.

Turning on the balls of his feel he marched backwards towards her station. At the sound of his throat clearing, she jumped and promptly tossed the phone away from her, letting it land on the desk with a resounding thud.

"Please, carry on. I wouldn't want to interrupt", he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest.

A quick look of confusion passed over Camille's face before lowering her eyes and folding her hands primly in front of her.

"My apologies Mr. Mikaelson, it won't happen again...Is there something I can assist you with?", she asked with uncertainty.

Klaus was hardly one to make it into the office on a regular basis, let alone require frequent secretarial duties. And while her puzzled look was understandable, it did little to curb the annoyed lilt in his voice.

"I need you to find someone for me", he rushed, nodding haphazardly in the direction of her phone.

A blank stare remained on her face, and when she didn't make a grab for the device Klaus huffed and reached for it himself, placing it in her hands.

"I need you to find someone for me. Can you do that?", he asked, slower this time.

Camille glanced down at the open iPhone and then back at the boss who had spoken a total of 50 words to her in the past year, the strangeness of the situation failing to compute in her mind.

"Like their Instagram?", she questioned, dumbfounded.

"Will that tell me where she is?", he demanded, her eyes widening at his choice of pronouns.

Klaus stepped away from her desk and began to pace the length of the lobby, his patience wearing thin by the moment. It wasn't his assistant's fault obviously, but yet again Caroline Forbes was driving him to the brink of madness. If only a week ago he'd known that soon enough, he'd be craving the sight of her bursting through his office doors unannounced.

"Oh, um, likely not", Camille squeaked, her nails tapping away at the glass screen. "Do you know her snap chat? Or have her snap code? She may have storied where she is...or if she has her location services enabled I can probably find her on snap map and then-"

"Miss O'Connell", he interjected suddenly, "Do I look like a fifteen year-old boy to you?", he asked, his body whipping in her direction.

She looked up and shook her head no slowly.

"Then please stop speaking to me as if I have the technological knowledge of someone who cites Justin Bieber as the greatest musical artist of our generation", he snapped impatiently.

Camille winced slightly at his biting tone and recomposed herself.

"So basically, if you have her phone number I may be able to follow her on Snapchat, and depending on her privacy settings, I may be able to see a generalized map view of her location", she said quietly.

Klaus' head snapped upwards, "Yes. Yes, try that one", he blurted, tossing her his phone before marching to snatch his coat from his office chair.

CAROLINE'S POV

Two mornings later, London's weather was a perfect replica of Caroline's mood.

Grim.

The air was warm but damp, and the sky was darkened by a sea of clouds.

She was trying her best to look like a proper Londoner today. It was the first time since the night of the gala that she was truly out and about in the city, and the last thing she needed was some nosy bitch with a camera phone making her blog-worthy again.

She'd twisted her hair into a French braid down the back of her neck and opted for a simple beige trench coat and oversized black sunglasses. It'd looked nice enough when she'd left her hotel room, chic even, but while sitting on the tube she couldn't help but think the look was better suited for someone like Katherine. She felt a bit like a child playing detective dress-up, but as long as it kept her under the radar she was fine with it.

Today Caroline found herself wandering around Camden Market in one of London's less crowded residential districts. She was sipping a cup of coffee and letting an early 2000's Paramore album blast through her eardrums.

The louder the music the less she could focus, and the less she focused the less she thought about the other night.

Upon leaving the Manor the night of the dinner, Caroline had devolved into a full-blown bathroom floor mental breakdown. She spent the the next four hours at the bottom of the hotel's bathtub, sobbing at a comically loud volume.

She had fucked up, royally.

Caroline Forbes didn't fuck up, especially not with alcoholic pricks who probably had a body count higher than her salary.

The same could not be said for the girl she was just hours before.

She hated guilt. It was her own personal poison, running through her veins like nightshade, shutting her organs down one by one. Caroline felt like she was drowning, trapped in the deep end of a swimming pool and struggling to stay above the water, her toes just inches from the floor.

Around four am, she finally had managed to drag her naked body from the shower and into a mass of silken sheets. She'd shampooed for hours, brushed her teeth dozens of times and yet, it still felt as though his presence was lingering all over her.

The idea of acknowledging the situation terrified her to her core, and telling Tyler was not an option. So, as she lay staring at the ceiling above her bed, she made the decision to do the only thing she knew how to. Erase it. Forget it. Ignore it. Nothing had happened, and nothing would, ever again.

And as it always did, a blanket of denial lay over her with a comforting warmth, whispering her into the world of darkness and dreams.

So here she was, two days later, wandering between the cramped wooden booths of various artisans, letting the caffeine of her drink stir her awake. It was noticeably harder to be in denial with the absence of her panicked exhaustion, but she had done a good job so far, forcing Lexi and Stefan out to a late lunch the next afternoon and fielding every text and call Klaus sent her way. There had even been a few from Rebekah, veiled inquiries as to what had happened the other evening. How the other girl got a hold of her number she didn't bother asking.

Every ping of her cell felt like a wrecking ball to the stomach, but she deleted each message before it could be opened, fearful of what she might read.

Caroline would have to face Klaus eventually, but today would not be that day, she thought, reaching for the gauzy teal material of a beaded scarf in front of her.

"Pretty innit?", the stall owner mentioned as she noticed Caroline's interest.

"Yes, it is. Blue's not much of my color though", Caroline responded quietly.

Then the sound of an all too familiar voice piped up behind her, "I for one think it would look beautiful, you should try it on."

Caroline's shoulders tensed as if she was bracing for impact. She saw the shopkeeper's eyes widen slightly and whipped around to face the unwelcome visitor.

KLAUS' POV

Caroline Forbes turned around to face him, her mouth pursed and nostrils flared.

"Hello Love", he grinned.

If she felt any pleasure at his unexpected arrival, she didn't show it, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly and sighing. After two days of undetected solitude, it appeared Carolina was a woman who wished to remain missing.

"How did you find me?", she asked bluntly, her voice devoid of all amusement. She crossed her arms over her chest, and the scarf she gripped with frightening strength was entangled amongst her limbs. Klaus glanced behind her, noticing the stall owner's eyes glued to the couple.

"You've been ignoring me", he replied airily.

"That's not what I asked Klaus."

Instead of replying, Klaus took a moment to assess the woman in front of him. While her voice was composed of short breaths, full of impatience and annoyance, her face was oddly still. Whereas he had come to expected the scrunched up brow and flared nostrils that typically accompanied her vitriol, he simply found a set of nervously shifting eyes and harshly bitten lips.

"Hello?", she repeated, waving a hand in front of his face. Caroline rolled her eyes, but it seemed forced, almost like an afterthought.

Klaus held up the phone displaying an animated map Camille had texted him just minutes beforehand.

"You have a Snapchat", he answered, sounding quite bored with the logistics of things.

Caroline's cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment and she looked at him with disbelief, the skin of her forehead now wrinkling in confusion.

"Yeah I do...do you?", she asked incredulously, hardly believing the Klaus she knew was an avid fan of daily streaks and puppy filters.

He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance, "Of course not, and from what I can tell it seems like an insipid invention. Luckily for me however, you do. Barely took Camille twenty minutes to track you down."

Caroline's jaw dropped.

"You paid your assistant to stalk me?", she whisper shouted, now conscious of the woman in the stall glued to their every word.

"To be honest Love it was the most productive thing she's done on company time all year. Besides, I simply asked her to make sure you were still alive considering your recent disappearing act."

"Disappearing act?", she parroted.

"Do you have a different suggestion?"

Caroline ran a hand through her hair, pushing it away from her face in frustration.

"I was busy okay? God forbid I'm not at your beck and call on my vacation."

"Yes and God forbid I make sure you're not dead in a ditch in the middle of the English countryside", he barked.

"Oooooh, a considerate stalker!", she sang out with mock gratitude.

"Quite the contrary Caroline, I happen to be in Camden on other orders, you just happen to be a stop off."

"Other orders?", she chuckled mirthlessly, "Yeah and what would those be?"

Klaus couldn't help the sarcastic lilt in his reply, "Who's the stalker now?"

Caroline didn't respond, instead turning away from him to match down the aisle. The smirk fading from his face, Klaus's hand shot out and his fingers coiled around her wrist, holding her in place.

"If you must know, there's a gallery about a block from here, I was simply on my way to check it out and thought I would stop by", he replied faultlessly, though the answer seemed to be pulled from midair.

While scoping out the Camden Town gallery scene wasn't too high up on Klaus' Finding-Forbes agenda, it wasn't technically a lie either. He had meant to make his way down here several times within the past year, never managing to get around to the task.

"Sizing up the competition?", Caroline suggested, raising her eyebrows in suspicion.

"A girl I know may have suggested that my apartment was looking a bit shite. In all honesty she's quite annoying, but I've decided to heed her advice regardless", he shrugged as casually as possible.

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes, "And you really expect me to believe that's the only reason you're here?"

"You seem to care quite a bit for someone who's ignoring me", he smirked, mirroring her stance and crossing his arms in front of him.

"I'm not", she snapped far too suddenly, "Like I said, I've just been...busy." Her sentence trailed off awkwardly.

"No texts, no emails. Won't answer her calls. Hotel always says she's out of her room...It sounds to me like we shared an intimate moment on Sunday night and you're taking it particularly poorly."

Caroline whipped her head around to face him.

"Nothing happened on Sunday night, okay?", she demanded, her voice low and serious, "You tried to kiss me, we stopped it, you were drunk and angry and it will never happen again. I'm over it, you're over it, it's forgotten. Understood?"

"Is that the story you're going with Caroline? The misgivings of an alcohol-fueled evening?", he questioned honestly.

"Yes" she said, leveling her eyes at him, "it is."

"Fine, then prove it"

"Excuse me?"

"If you were truly unaffected by our encounter, then spend the day with me", he challenged.

"And why on earth would I do that?", she asked impatiently with a roll of her eyes.

He glanced indiscreetly at the ramshackle myriad of booths surrounding them.

"Because you have nothing better do to", he smirked, mouthing a quick sorry to the obviously-offended shopkeeper, "and because you so sanctimoniously insist on proving that we can uphold a cordial, platonic relationship. Dare I say ignoring me doesn't do much for your argument."

Caroline bit her lip and Klaus swore that behind all her worry, he could see the tiniest hint of intrigue in her eyes. Curious was good, he could work with curious.

If her insistence on making their relationship work had even the slightest bit of sincerity behind it, he was sure he had a chance at persuasion.

"I really shouldn't", she sighed moments later, "Katherine is meant to get here tomorrow and I still have to get the room ready for her and-"

"Caroline you're staying in a hotel, I'm sure housekeeping would be more than happy to take care of that for you...besides, when's the next time you'll have a couple million pounds to blow on art", he shrugged, keeping his voice nonchalant.

Her eyes widened, a look of unadulterated shock overtaking her features.

Bribery may not be the most valiant tactic, but it sure was effective.

CAROLINE'S POV

Caroline's jaw dropped slightly and she practically salivated at the sentiment. While she may have had a foothold in the art world, her measly personal collection consisted of a few of Kat's photos scattered across her apartment walls.

"I'm sorry did you just say a couple million pounds? As in millions? As in the plural of one million?", she sputtered.

She noticed the corner of his lip quirk upward cockily.

"Well we are starting from scratch", he said.

Caroline chewed the inside of her cheek in contemplation. The internal alarm that always seemed to pipe up in Klaus' presence began to emit a low beep in her head, as if it could sense danger.

He was right after all, she had been avoiding him like the plague. And as determined as she was to make her memories of the other night seem like nothing more than a strange and forgotten dream, perhaps Klaus had proved a point.

She had grieved her mistake, she had let her guilt take shelter inside her mind, the whispers of her betrayal ringing through her head over and over again like a folk tale. But the point remained, as colleagues they would have to learn to get along sooner or later.

Besides, tempting her with budget-less gallery shopping was like leaving an alcoholic alone with a bottle of Gin, willpower can only get you so far.

At that moment Klaus could have been Satan himself and she would have taken his offer.

"Will there be paparazzi?"

"Most likely", he shrugged, "If you'd like I can maintain a three feet's distance at all times, save room for the Holy Spirit and all that."

She met Klaus' stare and narrowed her eyes at his child like expression of smugness.

"Do not make me regret this", she snapped, "and cut the smirk already, you'll give yourself wrinkles."


	18. The One Where Klaus Tries To Be Nice

CAROLINE'S POV

The sun had begun to peek out from behind the clouds, its rays piercing the dreary gray cast that lay over the London skies.

Camden was perhaps her favorite neighborhood she'd visited thus far with its elaborately decorated storefronts and kitschy corner pubs. Barcelona was beautiful of course, and the passing weather had certainly made her crave her city's morning warmth, but the barrio of her and Kat's apartment was nothing like this.

She smiled at the thought as they passed a brick building painted a striking shade of bubblegum pink. She might've even stopped to snap a picture had it not been for their current circumstances.

Klaus was right of course, a minute had barely passed since leaving the market before the distinctive click of snapping camera shutters descended upon the pair.

Caroline ignored the urge to move closer to his body, instead pulling her sunglasses down over her eyes and flipping up the collar of her trench coat.

KLAUS' POV

Klaus watched her actions out of the corner of his eyes and smirked.

"Calm down Double O Seven we're nearly there", he said rounding the corner.

"Forgive me", she implored sarcastically as they neared a set of large glass doors, "I was hoping I'd be able to go a single day without being mistaken for one of your whores again"

"Oh Caroline", he sang, "They aren't all whores, some of them are perfectly respectable women who simply fell for my unmatched wealth, charisma, and beauty."

Despite her best efforts, a stifled laugh escaped her throat bringing a smile to his face.

"Besides? Would it honestly be so bad for everyone to think you'd snagged the notoriously eligible Klaus Mikaelson?", he asked, the normally cheeky lilt of his voice fading.

The question came out far more serious than he had intended, but he braced himself in preparation for her answer.

"Well, considering how it worked out for me the last time? Yeah, I would say so."

Klaus tried to quell his newly discovered affections for Caroline, keeping his face at an impasse. Still, he couldn't help but emit a subtle snarl.

"Ah yes, you never quite told me what happened between you and your- what's he called?", he asked, avoiding the declaration of boyfriend, "Tony?"

"Tyler", she corrected, giving him a pointed glare.

Caroline tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked towards the pavement, her face hidden from view.

For a moment Klaus thought she may be trying to conceal a wince, but before he could say anything she forced out a quiet laugh.

"What's that about?", he asked.

"You really want to know?"

Klaus nodded vehemently.

"Well...in the midst of his tirade he may have referred to you as a...I believe the term he used was 'knockoff Prince William'."

Caroline scrunched her nose and stifled a giggle at her memory of the insult.

Klaus stopped in their tracks, his brows furrowed and his jaw stretched into a wicked smile.

"Oh come off it!", he whistled, "I'm the knockoff? No no no no my dear. Will wishes he was me."

Whether at his uncharacteristic tantrum or blatant egocentrism, Caroline released a sudden burst of laughter, and closing her eyes she felt the toe of her heel as it caught in a sidewalk crack, lurching her forwards towards the pavement.

Instinctually Klaus reached for her waist, pulling her upright and flush against him.

"Why do I feel as though you don't believe me?"

"Yes Klaus, I'm sure the heir to the British throne would totally kill for your...your...nope, see? I can't even finish the joke", Caroline snorted, her sputtered laughter followed by a string of coughs.

Klaus smirked and reached up to pat her back, rubbing a pattern of small circles as she regained her composure.

"I'm telling you Love, he was always on about it as kids. 'Well Niklaus, one day when I'm King' and 'Oh, you'll see when I become King'", he parroted in a childlike voice, "Never could shut up that one. Now what's he got? Same title, a balding head and enough heirs to start a royal football league."

At the realization of how close they were, Caroline stopped in her path and ripped her body from Klaus', jolting him from the sudden loss of contact. She pulled her coat tighter around her waist, playing with the belt in an obvious attempt to act natural.

"So", she recovered, "You're telling me not only do you know the future King of England but that-"

"He used to be a little twat who hung round our back garden?", he interrupted, slightly annoyed at the feeling of cold air replacing her body heat, "Yes that's exactly what I'm telling you."

Caroline shook her head in disbelief and rolled her eyes, much to his chagrin. She dropped her chin into the collar of her coat, the tiniest hint of a dimple in sight.

"So, did he have anything else to say?", Klaus asked, trying to keep his voice as casual as he could muster.

CAROLINE'S POV

Caroline gulped slightly and tried to will away the dry feeling creeping up the back of her throat as she recalled Tyler's threat.

"If he tries anything...I'll kill him Care."

She tried to picture it, the great Niklaus Mikaelson, weak and beaten at the hand of her boyfriend. It was an image she couldn't quite muster, too far beyond the bounds of reality, but she didn't doubt that Tyler would be willing to try. Where Klaus was all height and lean, sinewy muscle, Tyler was pure bulk and aggression.

Caroline suppressed her dark expression and looked up at him, "Unfortunately no", she said with a shrug, "You do know some people have the ability to discuss subjects other than yourself, right?"

"Hmmm, you don't say", Klaus smirked and pulled open a door, motioning for her to enter first and following her into the massive building.

Like most galleries, the walls appeared stark white under the tens of lights illuminating the room. The floors were a simple oak hardwood, and the only furniture in the space seemed to be two small benches on opposite waysides of the room. Dozens of paintings in all sizes adorned the walls, some displayed in ornate frames while others hung as bare canvases.

Caroline inhaled deeply, relishing the subtle aroma of pine-scented floor cleaner and acrylic paint.

Before she had the chance to say anything, a short, middle-aged man emerged from an unseen room wearing a smile and blue sport coat.

He walked steadily, almost in a sort of waddle, and Caroline couldn't help but think he bared a slight resemblance to the Monopoly man.

"Mr. Thomas", Klaus acknowledged with a nod, "I expect my assistant let you know I was stopping in this morning"

"Why yes, yes of course", the man nodded quickly, "but I must admit when I was informed one of the Mikaelson clan was gracing us today I did so expect your older brother."

Klaus gave him a dimpled smile and a quick pat on the shoulder, "It appears that would be my mistake", he nodded with faux apology, "But despite the confusion, I can assure you most people find me better company than Elijah anyways."

Mr. Thomas released a hearty laugh and let his eyes drift towards Caroline. He quirked a single eyebrow and scanned her body, a look of subtle judgement flashing across his eyes.

Okay, maybe her her trench coat read more H&M than Burberry but come on, she hadn't thought she'd look that out of place.

He motioned to her place beside Klaus, "And your...friend? We can grab her a glass of champagne if she'd like to wait up front. I'm afraid your PA wasn't terribly specific regarding your appointment needs this morning."

She furrowed her brow at the air of condescension in his tone. 'Wait up front' For what? Did he think she was some dimwit girlfriend who's little brain couldn't appreciate all the pretty pictures?

Caroline felt Klaus place a hand on her forearm in acknowledgement, "My colleague and I are actually looking for some pieces to furnish one of my properties on the West End. The appointment was made for the both of us, I think you'll find her opinion is rather invaluable to me."

Regardless of whether he actually viewed her as such or simply disliked the question in his choice of company, Caroline couldn't help the small expression of pride that swept across her face.

Mr. Thomas gulped slightly in discernible fear of any offense he may have caused and shook his head fervently.

"Absolutely Mr. Mikaelson, my apologies. Should you and your colleague have any inquiries please do not hesitate to ask", he sputtered, reaching out and shaking Klaus' hand before retreating.

Caroline turned towards him and quirked her head to the side.

"Colleague?", she asked pointedly, though her tone was free of any real malice. She strode towards the first painting to catch her eye, and listened to the sound of his footsteps trailing in her wake.

"Doesn't work?", he questioned, "I thought it had a better ring than 'Gallery owner who was contractually obligated to fake the part of my new girlfriend and has since been ignoring me following a drunken tryst on my family's estate."

"Oh did you?", she responded, raising her eyebrow and running a finger down the length of a framed portrait, "Whereas here I was thinking you were smarter than test me in a setting where you're financially liable for any property I may damage."

She could almost feel Klaus' stare as she sauntered forward, before watching him turn his head downward in an attempt to conceal his grin.

The painting she had stopped in front of was an abstract mix of red, green and orange triangles with haphazard black and white brushstrokes sporadically placed across the canvas.

The pair stood back for a minute, both in quiet contemplation of the piece before them.

"Catch your fancy?", Klaus asked.

Caroline chewed at her bottom lip in indecision.

"Well", she began thoughtfully, "the use of lines are nice. Not too geometric, not too abstract. The brushstrokes towards the bottom are a bit of a nod to Kline gone wrong, but spatially it's good. The eyes follow well...definitely striking, in design and color."

She glanced over at Klaus to see him staring at her, an unreadable expression gracing his features. It wasn't pride exactly, but a look of serene fascination.

"Shall we get it then?", he asked.

She considered the canvas in front of her. It was certainly...art, and nice art at that. And while she could see how it had earned it's spot on the wall, Caroline couldn't help but thinking the paint was quite...well, ugly.

"No", she answered simply, turning on her heel and walking towards the next frame.

They continued on that way for nearly two dozen pieces. Klaus would ask for her critique, she would give one along with a verdict, and they would move along.

She kept expecting him to contest her criticisms, or lay aim to one of her many opinions. He was after all the only legitimate artist out of the pair. However each time she spun around to check he would simply nod stoically and tilt his head in the direction of another painting.

Eventually, Caroline took a sip of her complimentary Champagne only to find the glass empty. She shook it slightly in Klaus' direction.

"I think this means our appointment is over", she pouted slightly.

A faint feeling of disappointment washed over him.

"It doesn't have to be", he said casually, "Champagne can be refilled."

She bit her lip in indecision glanced down at her watch. They'd been out for nearly 3 hours, and while Klaus had kept his distance, hanging out with him still felt dangerous. It reminded her of all the times she and Kat would host bonfires in the woods behind the falls. Caroline was always the one to place her fold up chair a bit too close to the flame, relishing in the warmth while white hot ashes ghosted millimeters from her skin. Strangely comfortable, but hardly safe. Besides, she may have avoided looking for price tags thus far, but she could imagine the massive bill they'd already rung up in Klaus' name.

"I think we've done enough damage for today."

Klaus didn't return her smile, but turned around, heading in the direction of Thomas' office.

While awaiting his return Caroline took a seat on the tufted velvet of one of the benches, and positioned herself in front of a wide, light pink sky scape.

The pastel mixture of pink and lavender oil paints swirled together like puffed clouds of cotton candy, and she had the urge to run her hand down the length of the canvas, letting her fingers graze the ridges and valleys of dried paint.

It was different from anything they'd picked out so far, and she couldn't help but smile when she thought of the way it would perfectly compliment the color scheme of her high school bedroom. She laughed silently to herself at the mental image of a canvas worth tens of thousands of dollars hanging above a shelf adorned with cheerleading trophies and tenth grade chemistry text books.

She thought of what Liz Forbes would say and frowned. If it was anything like her opinion of Caroline's art history degree she'd probably say something along the lines of, "Four years of school and eighty thousand dollars in debt for this?", before shaking her head in disappointment at her daughter.

After a few minutes the sound of footsteps echoed behind her and she could sense a presence at her back, shaking her from her day dream.

KLAUS' POV

"Jonathan is making a few calls to authorize the transfers of funds, but it shouldn't take too long."

When she didn't turn to face him, he circled the bench and took a seat beside her.

"Something on your mind?", he asked.

Caroline tore her eyes from the painting and met his gaze.

"You should buy this one", she blurted awkwardly.

He smirked and twisted his head to the piece hanging before them, letting his eyes rake over it.

"And why is that?"

Caroline looked down towards her lap and shrugged, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist.

"Oh come on", he tsked, pulling a small envelope from his coat pocket and unfolding a slip of paper, "I just spent 'fourteen point six million pounds' on account of your advice and you won't give me a single reason why I should spend another-", Klaus leaned forward, squinting his eyes and reading the small placard in the corner, "two hundred thousand?"

Caroline's jaw went slack at the mention of his bill and he quickly lifted a single finger to his lips before she could protest.

"Relax, I'll tell Elijah it was an investment, he can use it as a tax write off or something", he fired off nonchalantly. "So what's the deal?", he asked again.

"No deal, just thought it was nice", Caroline answered, tearing her eyes from his gaze.

"Just nice?", Klaus asked, an air of disbelief in his voice.

"Just nice", she nodded as they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Klaus folded the slip of paper back up in his hands before sliding it back into his pocket and inching closer to her side.

The canvas wasn't anything special in his opinion, just a abstract smattering of pastel swirls. In fact, he had disagreed with several of the paintings Caroline had approved. Still, there was a slight stirring in his stomach at the sight of her while she worked; a hand at her chin, her forehead creased in thought. His attention was more drawn to her than any of the art, and he hardly felt like breaking her trance over a few million pounds.

"You know, you never told me how you got into this", he piped up, his eyes still glued to the wall in front of them.

She paused.

"Well, first you stalked me around a market on the other side of town, then you bribed me with a shopping spree, and now we're here."

Caroline could feel his eyes on her, like a chill running down the length of her body. Sensing his disappointment in her answer, she rolled her eyes and turned to face him.

"I went to college, got a degree like everyone else", she drawled, quirking an eyebrow as if to ask, "satisfied?"

"Why art?", Klaus asked, knocking his shoulder against her own like they were children on a playground.

"It was the only thing I could bear to study. I mean could you picture me in an office? Running around, fetching people coffee and demanding reports?"

He raised his eyebrows like he was considering the thought, "Not anymore than I see you as an art major", he answered before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a carton of cigarettes along with a lighter.

She widened her eyes and smacked him on the wrist.

"Are you insane? You can't smoke in here", she whispered harshly.

"Sweetheart I just paid this gallery's rent for the next two years, I can do whatever the fuck I want."

After several minutes of watching the office door behind them, expecting to be thrown out at any moment, Caroline breathed a sigh of relief and turned her gaze to Klaus as he stomped out the cigarette butt on the back of his phone.

"What do you see me as?", she asked suddenly, catching his attention.

When he didn't provide an immediate answer she huffed loudly, "You said you didn't see me as an art major. So...how do you see me then?"

Klaus let a quiet chuckle emerge from the back of his throat, "I don't know, party planner?"

He expected her to look at least slightly offended, but instead she just shook her head.

"I don't think most accredited universities offer a degree in event planning."

He shrugged and crumpled the remains of his cigarette in an old receipt, "I'd put money on it, you are from the land of opportunity after all."

The conversation lilted again, anything else Klaus could think to say caught in his throat. Caroline's expression remained stoic.

He would admit that he found her unwillingness to converse slightly annoying. Sure, Niklaus Mikaelson was not the most forthcoming individual, but while he couldn't think of a single person who would describe him as an open book, he was making an effort as of now. They'd been out for nearly four hours and he'd hardly made one biting comment, or even attempted to dredge up memories of the other night's encounter.

He was being nice and she was, well, he wasn't quite sure what her problem was.

Simply put, this was bollocks.

"Anyone ever tell you you're a riveting story teller?", he asked, trying to keep his tone as blasé as possible.

CAROLINE'S POV

Despite his best efforts, Caroline could clearly hear the undercurrent of aggravation in his voice. Why? She had no clue. She'd been good company. Sure, things had been slightly awkward, but she hadn't called him a narcissistic asshole once! That was good right?

There'd been a bit of banter at first, but it was like the air had completely shifted the moment he'd touched her on the sidewalk. And once they'd ran out of art to talk about it was like the conversation just...dried up.

She was now being forced to sit on this bench while he attempted to to interrogate her on the matters of her young adulthood.

Was he seriously asking about her college major?

The conversation was totally devoid of their routine insults, attacks, and hatred.

God, next thing he would be asking about her philanthropic efforts during her time as a hometown pageant queen.

It felt like a talk she would have with, well, with Tyler.

Caroline Forbes had never regretted a kiss as much as she did in this very moment...and for all the wrong reasons. She didn't regret it because of her relationship, or Stefan or even her business arrangement with the Mikaelson Corporation. She regretted it because it had caused some monumental shift in the gravity of their relationship...

He was being nice.

And frankly? It was freaking her the fuck out.

Was this how it was going to be from now on every time they made bodily contact? She felt like a middle-schooler during that awkward second half of a birthday party following a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven.

She turned back to Klaus, leveling her eyes with his own.

"Klaus, we don't have to do this", she sighed.

"What?", he asked with a look of genuine bewilderment painted across his features.

"I know I ran off the other night and I know you're probably expecting me to have a very Caroline-esque freakout and never speak to you again- which like, I get it. That does seem like a very me thing to do, but seriously, I'm fine. It's over, forgotten, a thing of the past", she rambled at lighting speed.

Still, his confused expression continued as he cocked his head slightly.

"What I'm trying to say", Caroline continued, "is that we don't have to do this thing where you bite your tongue out of fear of upsetting me, and instead pretend to care about my life story"

A nearly indiscernible look of hurt flashed across Klaus' features before he turned away from her, clearing his throat.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?", he asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious what you're doing", she said, though her answer contained no malice or anger.

Klaus huffed, breathing out a short and quiet chuckle.

"And do people do that a lot? Pretend to care?", he quoted.

No, Caroline wanted to snap. Of course not. People cared. Her friends cared. At least, they tried to, as much as they could...life was busy, and she was hardly the only person with problems. But at the end of the day, she knew she mattered to them.

That being said, Caroline Forbes had accepted a long time ago the feeling that she wasn't a top priority in anyone's life. Hell, she wasn't even a top priority in her own life...and she did a damn good job of making do with it. She never complained when Stefan's Elena drama came first or Kat's dick du jour, even Tyler's stupid late-night work schedule. She was well used to the people in her life asking how she was and hoping the answer was 'great' so they could get on about their own problems.

She didn't need it from him too.

When Caroline didn't answer, he gave a quick shake of his head, "Huh, you really ought to get better friends."

His tone was somewhere between acidic and sarcastic, but she chose to let it slide. Then, in a risky move of intimacy, Klaus lay his right hand to rest on her knee, forcing her eyes upwards to meet his own.

"Did you ever consider that perhaps I just wanted to learn about you? Know you?", he tacked on emphatically.

Ignoring the veiled intent behind his words, Caroline focused her attention on his question instead. Had she ever considered that?

And while she could feel the honesty emanating from his voice, see it in the curve of his relaxed shoulders, she couldn't quite bring herself to believe him.

The feeling of his fingers folded over her knee felt like a series of hot coils, burning through the thin denim of her jeans. It took all her effort to focus on his face rather than the subtle movement of his hand towards her thigh.

"Trust me Klaus, the life story of Caroline Forbes is a very long and very depressing one. You wouldn't want to hear it."

"And yet, I do", he said quietly, his voice full of conviction.

Her eyes scanned his face, searching for any hint of mirth or insincerity. She found none. Just a mouth, quirked up at one end, and eyes, narrowed and expecting, like he was curious to see her next move.

Caroline waved a white flag of surrender and took a deep breath, letting her shoulders fall. She thought back to Stefan's warning that he was not to be trusted, and while she was still unsure whether she could say she liked Klaus Mikaelson, it was getting harder and harder to say didn't trust him.

"What do you want to know?", she asked.

Klaus leaned back, crossing one leg over his knee and facing her head on.

"Everything."

She laughed quietly. The thought of those words coming from anyone else's mouth sounded like a line from one of Nicholas Sparks' more poorly-revered novels. But from him? Well, she couldn't help but believe them.

"Fine", she began shortly, unsure of where she was meant to start or what she was meant to reveal, "um, I was born in a town called Mystic Falls, in Virginia. And aside from the falls, well, it's nothing really spectacular...Like, imagine the furthest thing from London you can imagine...and then multiply that by a hundred, you know what I mean? We have like one restaurant and I'm pretty sure they haven't changed the menu since 1974. The kids you had playdates with when you were three are the same kids you go to prom with when you're eighteen. One of those places where everyone knows everyone knows everything about everyone."

Caroline shifted to face him completely, pulling her knees towards her face and wrapping her arms around them.

"My now best friend Kat moved there from Bulgaria right before the start of third grade. I remember seeing her unloading boxes from her family's UHAUL and thinking that she looked like the prettiest doll I had ever seen...She was one of those girls that you just knew was going to be gorgeous when they grew up...and, like the little control freak I was, I was determined to make her my doll. It was easy enough considering she didn't know a lick of English and was surprisingly easy to bribe with Jolly Ranchers and Barbie Dolls but still- anyways we just kinda stuck together for the next 15 years."

She took a breath, expecting Klaus to interrupt but he simply nodded his head in encouragement, urging her to continue.

"Okay...um so, my dad left right before our Sophomore year...That one's not new. Pretty sure I laid my daddy issues on the table that night we got drunk in the park", she laughed quietly, recalling their previous conversation, "But um yeah, one day just told my mom that he was gay and couldn't do it anymore, literally walked right out of the closet and out of our lives." She flashed him a forced smile at the attempted humor. "I wasn't mad or anything- I mean, not about the gay thing- more so the fact that one second he was there to drive me to school in the morning and the next he had a new husband, new step daughter, new house, the whole nine yards. It was like embracing a new identity meant getting rid of everything he ever had, including me."

Caroline shrugged, she'd been through enough campus-provided therapy sessions to realize she was well-versed in the story of parental abandonment. It didn't hit quite as hard to talk about it these days. It could have been the champagne bubbling through her bloodstream but the words seemed to be coming faster now, more fluid, like an uncapped well.

"He kept it up for a few years, tried to at least, but it didn't really matter anyways. Every time he came back it was like I was a stranger to him. He always had this kind of vision of the person I was and person I was supposed to be...and that didn't involve the Caroline Forbes who was known to get way too drunk at backwoods bonfires and only went to class to keep her spot as head of the homecoming committee. I was his daughter in name only, ya know?"

Klaus nodded, and there was an air of empathy about him.

"And your mum?", he questioned.

Caroline clamped her lips together and nodded her head in discomfort. Her relationship with her mother was complicated to say the least.

"She was the sheriff in town, literally, head of the Mystic Falls PD. She's really good at her job, keeping food on the table, making sure bills are paid, that sort of thing...I don't know, I just don't think she ever planned on being a mother. Her style was very...judicial. You fuck up, you pay your time, you get out", she said, recalling all the times her mother would haul her home for trying to use a fake ID at the Mystic Grill, putting her on lockdown until she realized she had better things to do and abandoning the punishment altogether.

"She didn't really have time to parent beyond that. Crime started picking up that year in town...ton of people went missing or ended up dead. Druggies, animal attacks, that sort of thing...she didn't have time for me before and she certainly didn't have time for me after. It wasn't for lack of trying though. I mean God, I did everything to try and catch that woman's attention. Captain of the cheerleading team, homecoming queen, even spent like forty hours a week on community service to win this local pageant-"

Klaus chuckled at that, "You? A beauty queen? Well now that just doesn't seem believable", he drawled sarcastically.

"Oh yes", she giggled, "You are in fact looking at the former reigning Miss Mystic Falls."

Caroline twirled a hand in front of her and mimicked a bow from her seated position before pretending to adjust an invisible crown atop her head.

"Unsurprisingly, none of it mattered. I don't know if you knew this but trophies don't really work like that...If anything, I think she was kind of glad when things got serious with Tyler. Good kid from a good family, lots of prospects. I'm sure she couldn't imagine anyone better to pass me off to...make me someone else's problem", she scoffed, "That was the plan anyways. Divorce is expensive, cops don't make too much in the way of salaries and we didn't have anything close to being enough to send me to school. So, I was just gonna follow Tyler. We'd share an apartment close to wherever he committed for football and I'd wait tables for a few years until I had some savings, or until he put a ring on it."

Caroline spotted the downturned corners of Klaus' lips and nodded, "I know, the whole thing does seem pretty medieval doesn't it? Anyways, senior year rolls around and Kat insists on dragging me to this prospective student tour at UVA. She's smart you know. She plays dumb a lot of the time because it's easier to get away with shit when people think you're dense, but she's not."

It wasn't a lie either. Katherine was a borderline maniacal genius. Her SAT scores had been so good that year a bunch of suits came to the school to retest her, make sure she wasn't cheating.

"It was never a matter of if she was going to school, but where. I played along, walked the campus, pretended to ogle the dining hall, acted like I cared whether our dorm would have lofted beds. Eventually she had to go to this honors' college cocktail thing and I managed to slip away...wandered into the art museum on campus."

A dreamy look overtook Caroline's face as she remembered pushing past the doors of the large columned building, the stale air that should have felt uncomfortable but was oddly welcoming washing over her.

"I didn't know anything about art, but a museum beat the cold of Fall in Virginia. They had an exhibit from Adolph Gottlieb. The expressionist? You probably already know him", she reprimanded herself quietly, remembering who exactly she was talking to. "Anyways, they had one of his paintings on display...this odd little assortment red and pink dots...wild black brush strokes. And just looking at it...it was like the first thing that had brought me joy in ages...just this pure, unadulterated sense of happiness. I couldn't put a finger on it, just stood there grinning at the canvas like a psychopath for twenty minutes til this girl- she was probably just an art student working the exhibition- but she came up to me, started telling me all about Gottlieb, his role as an originator of the abstract expressionist movement, all this bullshit I didn't understand", Caroline recounted, a wild smile plastered across her face. "All I knew, was that there were some dots in front of me and for some reason, I couldn't deal. Dots...So, I asked her what the painting was valued at and she told me twelve thousand dollars."

Klaus didn't even attempt to feign surprise, twelve thousand was a minuscule amount of money in the art world.

"I know", she sighed, feeling a bit silly, "That's nothing. But back then? I mean I don't think I'd ever seen a thousand dollars cash, let alone twelve. And for dots! It was simultaneously the most insane and most understandable thing I'd ever heard in my life."

Caroline took a long pause, returning her attention to the pastel canvas hanging on the wall.

"I didn't leave the museum til it closed that night...I got home, went online, and applied. Six weeks later I got into the art history program. There was a bit of scholarship money from the pageant, hardly enough to cover the cost of my first year, but I went for it...So yeah, long story short that's how I ended up here...seven years and tens of thousands of dollars in debt later."

The moment the last word exited her mouth Caroline took a massive breath, the anxious energy of her ramblings drifting from her body. She held eye contact with Klaus for nearly a minute in a sort of unofficial staring contest, waiting for him to break the silence, to say anything at all.

"So?", she asked, oblivious to the sound of footsteps approaching from across the room. Her tone was light, casual even, when in actuality she all but wanted to scream, 'ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW? HUH?'

"Well", Klaus began, placing his hands on his knees and preparing to greet the unwelcome visitor to their conversation. His eyes bore into her own and he leaned forward, the ghost of his breath at her ear, "I suppose I owe Adolph Gottlieb a thank you in the next life, wouldn't you say?"

Before Caroline's reflexes could even begin to adjust to the proximity of his body, he was gone. Standing up in a flash and moving to greet a now exaggeratedly congenial Mr. Thomas, taking his hand in his own.

"Mr. Mikaelson, It was an absolute pleasure doing business with you today sir", Thomas began. Caroline noted the way he stumbled over his words slightly, likely still shaken over the sheer amount of money Klaus had spent that afternoon.

Klaus gave him a small, tight smile. "The pleasure was all mine Jonathan. I assume everything went smoothly with the bank then?"

The man nodded fervently in assurance, "Yes. Yes, I'm sorry again for the trouble. We typically don't need to authorize such...large transactions on the daily", he explained, "But enough of that! Glad to say we've arranged a delivery crew for next week with Ms. O'Connell."

Klaus pursed his lips together and Caroline could only assume the arrangement with his assistant had gone somewhat over his head.

"No, I'm afraid that won't do", he said, slightly jilted, "Arrange the delivery for this afternoon will you."

Thomas' eyes widened and he seemed to sputter a bit.

"Mr. Mikaelson you must understand we don't have an in house delivery service, to get a courier and a lorry on this short of notice...Well the fee alone would be-"

"You have my card on file, I'll be expecting them at my flat today. Contact Ms. O'Connell should you have any more issues", Klaus said sternly, and Caroline could tell at that moment that the conversation was over.

Extending a hand to her, he pulled her up from the bench, guiding her towards the door and holding it open for her. Once they were out on the street, she turned to observe the way the frown seemed to fade from his face, replaced with a mirthful glint in his eyes.

"Anyone ever told you you have a bit of a God complex?", she asked, raising a single eyebrow.

Klaus ignored her question, gripping her hand and pulling her lightly in the direction of the corner.

"I told my driver to meet us up the road", he explained.

Caroline stopped in her place, yanking her arm back slightly in response to his pace.

"It's fine Klaus I can just take a cab back to my hotel."

"Your hotel?", he repeated, a small grimace playing at the corners of his lips causing her to sigh. She thought back to this morning, the way she'd insisted it was going to be a day of distraction, a day all to herself. Instead, she had spent the entirety of the mid-day following Klaus like a lost puppy and spilling her life secrets like she was paying a hundred bucks an hour to do so.

"Yes, my hotel. Today has been fun, but I think it's best if i just head back...And maybe we can schedule the next time we hang out...instead of, you know, ambushing me", she added more cautiously.

He nodded, an imperceivable expression on his face.

"Of course, I just thought you may want to help sort out the arrangements as of where to hang things. That's alright though, I'm sure the couriers will have some idea of where to put things", he conceded, holding a pair of hands up in surrender.

Caroline couldn't help but emit a short gasp, "You cannot let delivery men arrange fourteen million dollars worth of art. They're couriers not interior decorators. God, are you insane or something?"

Klaus turned his head to the side for a moment.

"The invitation still stands", he shrugged, and Caroline couldn't help but wonder if this was his plan all along. Leave it to him to find his way under her micro-manager skin.

She wasn't an idiot. She knew Klaus had some sort of interest in her aside from a business partnership. She felt it in the way he left his hand linger a moment too long on her arm, or how he watched her from the corner of his eye when he thought she couldn't tell...And if that kiss the other night was anything to go off of, an excess of decorum was hardly an issue for him.

And she could hardly say he repulsed her. By any means it was getting harder by the day to deny his allure. He was handsome and intelligent. He saw her as an equal, recognized her capabilities. For fuck's sake she had told him more about herself in the first week than she had told Stefan in the whole first year of their friendship. It was slightly intoxicating if she was honest.

Regardless, Caroline Forbes was a master of control. She liked to believe she had more will-power in a single finger than most people had in their entire body. And if she'd said things would go no further with Klaus? Well then that was that. Honestly, what harm could another hour or two out of her day do?

She looked at Klaus, pulling her hand from his and pushing her purse further up on her shoulder.

"Fine", she answered cooly, "but you'll have to feed me first. I can't design a space on an empty stomach."

Two hour's later Caroline found herself splayed out across one of Klaus' ridiculously expensive white leather couches. And while she'd made enough jokes about whatever high-class strip joint he'd nicked them from, she couldn't deny that they were the most luxurious seats she'd ever had the pleasure of sitting on.

She was exhausted. Full of good Italian food and even better Italian wine, Caroline had spent the time since returning to Klaus' West End loft shouting at a group of absolutely clueless delivery men. It had been a full hour of,

"More to the left."

"No back to the right."

"Okay now just a tiny bit more back to the left."

"Higher."

"Not that high!"

"No, it needs to be lower."

"I changed my mind put that one in the dining room."

"Do those look even to you?"

It was absolutely draining.

The workmen had breaked for the evening, leaving hammers and ladders strewn all over the apartment, while Klaus had wandered off to the kitchen to find another bottle of...well, whatever he could find.

Caroline eyed a canvas hanging on the wall facing the couch. She couldn't tell if it was due to a tilt in her slightly impaired vision, or simply an unfinished job as indicated by a nearby ladder, but she couldn't help but notice it was the tinniest bit uneven. She tried to ignore it, picking at her nails and scrolling through her phone, but to no avail.

It was driving her mad.

With a frustrated huff she pushed herself up from the couch and stomped over towards the painting, placing a shaky foot on one of the ladder's middle rungs. Pulling herself upwards and reaching a hand out, she leaned precariously to the side, attempting to ever so lightly to knock the canvas level. Wobbling slightly on her toes, Caroline flung her weight backwards in an attempt to regain her balance. She opened her mouth to say something, noting the quiet squeak of the ladder as it began to tip to the side.

It was the last thing she remembered before things went black.


	19. The Injury

CAROLINE'S POV

"Am I in heaven?"

Those were the first words out of Caroline's mouth when she awoke to the bright lights and white walls of an unknown room. There was a dull ache radiating from her shoulder all the way down her arm, accompanied by a soft but persistent thud in her head.

Groaning and craning her head to the side, she caught the stare of an all-to-familiar pair of steely blue eyes.

"Nope", she whined, shutting her eyes and popping the 'p', "Definitely not heaven."

"What the fuck is wrong with you", Klaus spat, his voice a low and demanding whisper.

Caroline forced herself to take another look around the room, making note of the large windows and surprisingly modern furniture. She was in a hospital gown, her forearm set in a slim black brace in her lap, but aside from that there was no other sign she was in a hospital room. There were no polyester curtains or beeping wheeled machines...even the tacky boxed and mounted televisions of the nineties seemed to be replaced with sleek plasma screens.

If free healthcare in the UK was this good she should consider writing a thank you note to the NHS.

"Hello?", Klaus' voice boomed loudly. Or at least, it seemed loud. Admittedly everything felt pretty fuzzy in the moment.

She winced.

Fuck her head hurt.

"Where am I?", Caroline asked.

Her throat was dry and scratchy. He handed her a bottle of water, his stare unrelenting.

"Seriously Caroline, who the fuck climbs a ladder while drunk?"

She twisted the bottle cap off and began to chug.

"Someone who is really not a fan of uneven wall decor?", she attempted to joke.

Klaus' jaw twitched and she could tell he was resisting the urge to scream at her.

"You were plastered! You could have cracked your skull open!", he raved.

"I was not drunk", she protested.

Ignoring her counter-claim, Klaus stood and began to pace the length of the room.

"God you're an idiot", he snapped.

Caroline furrowed her brow in annoyance. Perhaps it hadn't been her wisest idea but there was really no need to call her an idiot.

"Well...who leaves ladders lying around their flat anyways?" she retorted petulantly.

Klaus stopped, pivoting his body towards her and gripping the footboard of her bed.

"You could have died."

His voice seemed so deafening, and combined with the low buzzing of the overhead lights Caroline felt she might be going insane.

"One can only hope", she muttered, leaning back into the pillows behind her, "Now would you like to tell me where we are?"

At that moment a tall young man entered the room, tapping a pen lightly on the edge of his clipboard.

"You are in a very expensive private healthcare facility in Northern London Miss Forbes, the best care money can buy. Lucky day to have a Mikaelson by your side, eh?", he joked, "I'm your practitioner Doctor Freeman, and I'll skip ahead to your next question which is, I presume, what happened?"

A private facility made a lot more sense. Caroline supposed it wouldn't look great if Niklaus Mikaelson rolled up to the nearest emergency room with her lifeless body strung over his shoulder. She imagined the field day Elijah's PR team would have with that.

She nodded for him to continue.

"Well from what a very distressed Mr. Mikaelson told me, it seems you fell from a ladder, directly onto your wrist no less", he chided, motioning to her injured arm, "Good news is it's a hairline fracture, no cast needed. Few weeks in that brace and some rest and it should heal up just fine."

"She also hit her head", Klaus interjected fiercely.

Doctor Freeman gave him a wary look, one that indicated Klaus had likely been quite the annoyance since their arrival earlier.

"That you did", he nodded, "From our scans there doesn't seem to be any sign of a concussion, but one can never be too sure. Do you have any past incidents of head trauma?"

Caroline's throat went dry and she reached for her water again, trying to ignore the sensation of Klaus' gaze burning into her.

The answer was yes of course.

Two incidents actually.

Incidents she buried in the crevices of her mind, under mounds of dirt and time.

The first was her junior year of high-school and it was all her fault.

She should have known better. Tyler had been stressed out all week. The homecoming game was coming up and scouts would be there to watch him play. His future was riding on that game.

All Caroline cared about was the dance. She would be Homecoming Queen, obviously, but with less than a week to go Tyler still hadn't asked her to be his date and it was getting on her nerves. If she was going to ask Matty she'd need to know sooner rather than later.

That morning when he picked her up for school she wouldn't stop talking about it; what her dress looked like, what color tie he was wearing, and if they were going together she needed to know so she could tell the rest of the cheerleading squad that they were down to split the limo. She should have seen it...the twitch in his jaw, the way his knuckles flexed and tightened around the steering wheel.

But she didn't stop...all the way til they neared the school...all the way til she unbuckled her seat belt...

Caroline remembered the feeling, the way Mr. Lockwood's old mustang began to rapidly accelerated down the street, the way she looked at Tyler with confusion before he slammed his heel down on the break, and the way it felt when her skull smacked against the dashboard.

Tyler took her to the ER and told everyone a bird flew into his windshield.

He said he braked too fast.

The second was a year later and she blamed it on the universe.

Her acceptance letter from UVA was like a beacon from the heavens the day it arrived in the Forbes' mailbox. It was her meal ticket, a way out of Mystic Falls once and for all.

Tyler had signed his letter of intent a month earlier, committing him to the football team at Virginia Tech. She knew he wouldn't be happy. He liked her in sight and under his thumb at all times, but it was only a two hour drive. There'd be plenty of weekends away and game days for them to see each other.

She didn't know the day she told him was the same day he'd received the news of his Uncle Mason's death.

How could she?

It was kind of funny in a way, she'd only ever remembered Mason Lockwood as the guy at the Founders' Ball who always got a little too drunk and a little too angry. The family resemblance was more obvious than she'd realized.

He threw her into the corner of his father's desk.

That was the last memory she had of that day.

Tyler told everyone she slipped on the pool deck.

A voice drew her from her thoughts.

"Miss Forbes? Miss Forbes? Any head injuries we should know about?", Doctor Freeman repeated.

Caroline shook her head lightly and plastered a soft smile on her face, "Um, yeah from a while back. Two actually, both concussions, one mild one severe."

She could sense Klaus at her bedside, a downturned lip and furrowed brow.

The man in the white coat simply scribbled them down on his form.

"Fall off a lot of ladders?", he joked.

Caroline let a quiet and forced laugh fall past her lips, twisting one of the rings on her finger.

"Not quite, drunken party foul in high school and a sober cheerleading accident a year later."

Doctor Freeman listened absentmindedly, checking his watch and sticking the pen back in his coat pocket.

"Didn't realize cheerleading was such a dangerous sport."

"Well, you try falling face-first from a twenty foot pyramid and see how it goes", she goaded, earning a chuckle from the young man.

God, doctors were easy to trick.

"Well Miss Forbes, it seems you are all set for release. As I said before, keep off the wrist if you can. And Mr. Mikaelson-", he turned, forcing Klaus to tear his eyes from her face, "the drug we've prescribed for Caroline's pain will likely make her drowsy. While I see no sign of a concussion it's best you keep her awake for the next six to eight hours. Monitor her progress and should you have any cause for concern give me a call."

Klaus gave a him a brief nod and thanked him for his time, pulling his leather jacket from the back of a chair. He stuck a baseball cap over his head and handed her a pair of sunglasses.

"Come on, my driver is meeting us at the back entrance."

She was unsure whether it was her slow welcome back to the land of the living or a change in his attitude, but his voice was softer this time.

She could protest, and normally she would, but Caroline saw the anxiety stretched across his shoulder blades and clamped her mouth shut, taking his hand and letting him help her from the bed.

Caroline followed Klaus through a winding labyrinth of hallways leading to the back entrance, letting him yank open the backseat door of an unfamiliar Audi.

She ducked into the car and used her good hand to close the door behind her, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window.

Klaus sat on the other side of her, tapping away at his phone.

He was pissed, that much was obvious.

Caroline spent what felt like hours trying to tune out the tense quiet in the car, eventually reaching out and tapping the seat between them in an effort to catch his attention.

"Are we going back to your place?", she cautiously attempted to break the silence.

He didn't even glance up.

Caroline sighed.

"Klaus", she tried again.

Nothing.

"Niklaus Mikaelson", she repeated, more sternly this time.

When the silence persisted she huffed and turned to face him, pulling her bent leg onto the middle seat.

"I'm sorry okay? I got tipsy and wasn't thinking but I am very much alive so you can stop being mad at me now", she rambled.

Klaus ran a hand through his unkept hair, sighing.

"I'm not mad", he said finally.

Ah yes, because that was so clearly indicated by the last hour of radio silence.

Caroline rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"Is that so? Because you seem pretty mad."

The car rounded a corner and slowed to a stop, the familiar white brick of Caroline's hotel building coming into view.

"Caroline, I just found your lifeless body face down on the ground in my sitting room. Call it processing, alright?"

Her expression of terse annoyance softened at the note of worry in his voice.

She hadn't actually considered that Klaus might be feeling anything at all. To be fair, Tyler was always guilty, always apologetic, but never quite sick with worry.

Caroline let her hand rest on the door handle, taking a steady breath.

"I'm one hundred percent sure you're going to do this anyways regardless of what I say...but would you wanna come up?", she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the hotel.

Klaus finally looked up a her, a look of surprise appearing and disappearing so quickly she thought she might have imagined it.

He cleared his throat and reached for his own door handle.

"You're right, I probably would've done it anyways", he said before stepping out of the car and following her towards the hotel entrance.

Caroline set her purse down and eased herself onto the suite's plush velvet sofa.

"Can I borrow your key card?", Klaus asked from her side, extending his hand outward.

"Why?"

"I'm going to get you ice", he answered as if it was the most obvious sentiment in the world.

Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Klaus, I don't need ice. I'm fine."

He refused to retract his hand as if she hadn't even spoken. She fished it out of her bag and handed it to him, ushering him out of the room.

Caroline reached for the remote, flicking the television on and pressing a hand to her temple. What had she gotten herself into? It was stupid to invite him here. Too personal. Too close for comfort. She wondered why she hadn't felt these things in his apartment. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the fact that a king-sized bed wasn't looming only ten feet away.

She continued to flip through the channels before a familiar face caught her attention.

Tatia was sat in a black directors chair across from an interviewer, a movie poster of massive proportion positioned behind them.

She wore a long sleeve red dress, the top made of a soft chiffon that dipped in a low v.

The banner at the bottom of the screen read: "Tatia Dumitrescu: How Heartbreak Made Me Stronger"

Caroline scoffed under her breath.

"Tatia it is so amazing to see you, and looking gorgeous as well", the interviewer began, "I know this movie is a massive first for you, how are you feeling about people finally getting to see you on the big screen?"

Tatia let out a poised and timed laugh, "I cannot begin to describe how excited I am for the viewers to finally get to see the finished product. I mean this cast and crew are honestly some of the most talented people I've ever met and working with them was nothing short of a blessing."

A blessing? Her director must be that good.

Caroline bit the inside of her cheek. She was so fake, but so excellent at it. It was easy to see how you'd become a fan...the effortless charm, the exotic beauty, it was captivating.

"Now I know this role is about a Russian Spy who uses her wits and beauty to outsmart foreign diplomats in an attempt to avenge her brother's death. How did you manage to step into the shoes of a character with such emotional turmoil?"

Tatia's face changed as if on cue, her lips turning downward, the smile erased from her face.

"Well", she began, forcing a shaky breath, "it's certainly been an emotional year. I went from the high of closing four shows at London Fashion Week and landing my first major role to losing someone I loved very deeply."

Caroline gagged exaggeratedly at the screen.

"I think going through that battle gave me more than enough practice."

"Yes, of course", the interviewer reached out an placed a hand on her knee in solidarity, "I can tell you we were all just so shocked to see the break up between you and Niklaus Mikaelson. I know you've both been notoriously private regarding the split, is there anything you'd like to say regarding why you called it quits."

Tatia shook her head quickly.

"The decision was mutual. We just wanted different things."

Caroline snorted. Yeah Klaus wanted to marry you and you wanted to fuck your director. Can't get much different than that.

The other woman nodded sympathetically.

At that moment Caroline felt the cool chill of an ice pack spread over her wrist, she glanced to her side to see Klaus glaring at the screen.

"Can you put something else on?", he growled lowly.

She observed his expression, her hand resting on the hotel remote. His jaw was clenched in anger, and it appeared he was biting the inside of his lip.

But his eyes were different.

His forehead was creased in concentration, and his eyes were filled with a distant longing. If you weren't paying attention, it would be easy to mistake the expression as one of frustration, but Caroline knew him better than that. It was the look of yearning one only feels at the loss of once-requited love.

He missed her.

Inexplicably, Caroline felt her stomach drop and her heart wrench slightly a the sight.

"And the rumors regarding him and his new girlfriend?", the interviewer continued, "I'm sure that must have been difficult for you to reconcile so quickly."

"I haven't spoken to Nik in quite some time, so that's not a situation I'm able to comment on. But if he's happy, then I wish him all the best."

It was a lie obviously, but if the public were as daft as the woman across from Tatia, she was sure the viewers would believe it.

Seemingly losing his patience, Klaus reached over Caroline's lap and snatched the remote from her, shutting the television off.

Caroline jumped slightly and looked up at him.

Suddenly he moved from around the back of the couch, lifting her crossed legs with ease and sliding in beneath them so they lay with her feet perched precariously in his lap.

"Those shows are a load of shit", he sighed.

She took in his tensed shoulders and the strain in his jaw. He seemed to flex his fists endlessly. Open and closed. Open and closed. Like he was trying to calm himself.

"It's okay you know", Caroline said quietly.

Klaus looked up at her with surprise.

"What's okay?"

"That you still love her", she answered.

For someone who always had something to say, Klaus looked completely taken aback. When he found his voice, it was gravely.

"Tatia was the first woman I ever trusted Caroline, and she betrayed me. I feel many things towards her, but I think you've mistaken my hatred."

"No", she shook her head slightly, "I haven't. I can see it. You look at her like you're replaying a memory in your head. Something that ended terribly, but still, something you miss. You can love someone without wanting to be with them."

Klaus sighed in frustration.

"Trust me, If I could do my life over again I would stay the fuck away from that woman."

Caroline shrugged, a sense of fogginess from the drug settling over her, "Maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you were simply fated to meet."

He raised an eyebrow at her airy tone.

"And you believe in fate?"

"To an extent", she responded indignantly.

"Really, and what extent is that?"

"I don't believe that we are all programmed creatures marching across a linear map that has all ready been designed by the universe. I don't believe our entire lives are predestined. I mean what would be the point then? If nothing matters why shouldn't I go toss myself off a bridge tomorrow? I like to think I'm responsible for my own successes, my own pain...but I'd like to believe...I'd like to believe that ultimately, everything happens for a reason...that divine intervention does exist. I think sometimes people are fated to meet. To fall in love, to fall out of love, to hurt each other...and sometimes...sometimes just to cross paths. Maybe, in the million times you tried to change your past, you were fated to meet her in a million and one."

Klaus stiffled a smirk, "God the drugs they gave you must have been good."

He gently moved her legs and went to stand.

"I'm going to make us some tea", he said finally, "Find something else to watch."

Caroline watched him walk towards the suite's small kitchenette and frowned. She wished it was as easy to erase the things we feel for others as Klaus believed it was.

But it wasn't.

Some people crossed entire oceans to drown their feelings of heartbreak. Some went to confession for years to rid themselves of guilt. Some prayed every night that they could have the strength to forgive those they hated.

But we don't work that way.

And funnily enough, Caroline liked to think love was the hardest emotion to erase of them all. It was like Greek Fire, it burned even in the most unlikely of circumstances and was terribly difficult to snuff out.

She felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy and her breathing begin to shallow, the warm blanket of sleep beckoning to her.

Before she could succumb to the quiet calm, a hand fiercely gripped her shoulder, shaking her awake.

Klaus set a mug of hot tea between her hands.

"You heard the doctor. No sleep for at least another seven hours", he reprimanded, checking his watch.

Caroline yawned.

"Fine", she sighed, "then find a way to entertain me."

"Oh love I'm sure we could find plenty of ways to entertain ourselves in here", he piped suggestively.

She leaned forwards and used her good hand to slap him on the bicep.

"I meant you should tell me a story or something", she snapped.

"Fine", he surrendered, "What would you like to hear? The time Rebekah almost married a Russian Oligarch? The time Kol and I wandered off as children an accidentally got lost in the Alps?"

He smiled a smile that faded from his face as she spoke next., but she couldn't help it. It was something that had plagued her mind for nights.

Caroline looked down at her mug, refusing to raise her eyes to meet his.

"Tell me what happened between you and Stefan", she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my author tumblr (imaginelndn) for updates, previews, etc.
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed the chapter!


	20. The Confession

KLAUS' POV

"Caroline-", he began.

"Do not 'Caroline' me", she responded indignantly, "I'm not a petulant child Klaus. Stefan is one of my best friends and you're...you know, you...and yeah- obviously you don't owe me anything, but you can't just 'Caroline' me as if I'm expected never to bring it up."

Klaus sighed, peeking out at her from under the hooded veil of his eyes. Her head was slung downwards in disappointment and she passed the recovered remote awkwardly between her hands.

He wanted to tell her the truth, truly. He wanted to tell her so badly the words felt like a pair of clenched hands, kneading his stomach and clawing their way up his throat. It was a story he had kept buried for so long there were times he was convinced it was all just a figment of his imagination...like a dream you had as a child, one where you were never quite sure that the memories were grounded in reality.

Telling Caroline would mean affirming everything Stefan had tried to drill into her. He was a bad guy.

She was wrong. After all she'd done for him, he did owe her this much. But was losing her to repay the debt of adolescent trauma a risk he was willing to take? That was the question muddling his thoughts.

"I don't want things to end, Caroline", he said quietly.

Caroline glanced up at him through the few wispy tendrils of messy hair that had fallen from her bun.

"What?"

"If I tell you about that day...all of this", he repeated, using a hand to motion between the pair of them, "It'll be done. Your Salvatore brother will get what he wants, and you'll never speak to me again", he said bluntly.

Caroline drew a leg back and nudged him with her foot, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"I can make my own decisions Mikaelson."

Her eyes smoldered with fiery determination, reminding him of the looks Ali and Andre gave when they were left out of adult conversation.

Eventually, he let out a long sigh. If it was the truth she wanted, it was the truth she would get.

"Fine."

Klaus reached forward and gently took back the remote, pushing a button and turning the television off altogether.

"Like I said the night of the gala...there are certain aspects of my youth that nobody knows about...Stefan, Tatia, my family...and I need to know that-"

"Klaus", she cut him off, reaching forward and placing a hand on his knee, "You can trust me."

Caroline sat back and made the small motion of zipping her lips and tossing an imaginary key behind her.

Even as his heart thudded violently against the walls of his ribcage, he had to resist the urge to grin at the childishness of her actions.

"Well", he began, "It all started when we were young. Stefan started at Harrow School with me when we were thirteen. He'd attended schools in the states up until then, even had that stupid American accent to show it. I knew of the Salvatore family, but we'd never officially met."

Klaus smirked as he remembered the image of them as children, adorned in the school's ridiculous uniform of boat hats and blazers.

"I was a Mikaelson, and every boy with a father who knew what was best for them wanted their son to be friends with a Mikaelson. The twats at that place followed me around like I was the bloody Messiah", he let out a short chuckle.

"I see who we have to thank for the god complex", Caroline interjected quietly.

Klaus simply shrugged in agreement before continuing.

"Not Stefan though...The wanker couldn't give less of a shit about my surname...always alone, hunched over a library table writing in those stupid journals of his", he shook his head at the memory, "One day I decided he'd be my mate whether he bloody well liked it or not. So, I marched up to his table, snatched a pencil from his case and sat down with my sketchbook. A few days later we were inseparable."

He couldn't help but notice the small grin creeping its way up her face.

"Stefan was there for a lot of it...Mikaelson family dinners, trips to the chateau on Lake Geneva, football tournaments...he was my family in a sense, but he wasn't around for everything."

Klaus rubbed his palms together in an effort to calm himself, "You know of my father, correct?"

His question sounded more like a statement, but regardless Caroline gave a small bob of her head.

"Mikael", she whispered quietly.

He nodded solemnly.

"The one and only may he rest in hell", Klaus answered, pausing for a moment before continuing "Mikael was a terrible man. He never had much patience for people, not for his family and certainly not for me...and it didn't help that he wasn't my father."

Her head snapped up, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well, at least, not in the biological sense", he clarified.

Caroline raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You were adopted?"

Klaus released a humorless laugh, "I believe adoption is a word used for children who are wanted Caroline...No, Mikael kept me because he was too weak to bear with the shame of a wife who fell for another man...And though he raised me, he'd never been kind. My mother bore the brute of his anger for years, and he was the type of man who preferred to speak with fists rather than words. But once his children came along...well, we were just smaller punching bags."

He heard a small gasp of air fall past her lips.

"He hit you?", she asked quietly.

"Not all of us. I think he backhanded Beks a time or two, put Elijah in a particularly nasty chokehold once...but he beat the shit out of me."

"But you were just a kid."

Caroline's forehead creased in worry and she began to pull nervously at the ends of her hair.

Klaus shook his head, "Men like Mikael...they feel entitled to anger. It never mattered that my mother was his wife or that we were his children. What mattered was himself...and as I got older, things got worse. He thought he could beat subservience into me, that he could beat reprimand into my mother."

Caroline bit the corner of her lip and pressed her eyes shut, bringing a hand to her temple.

Noting her distress, Klaus ran a hand across her shin.

"What's on your mind?"

Her eyes snapped open, his voice drawing her back to reality. She blinked nervously and leaned back against the arm of the sofa.

"Nothing, it's just...it's scary. I have a friend back home...similar situation with her boyfriend, you know? They're not married, I mean not yet, but eventually..."

Caroline's words trailed off into silence, but he was no longer paying attention. Memories of Klaus' childhood played through his head like photos on a projector reel; a young boy pushing a nightstand in front of his door, his mother at her vanity layering powder over faded purple marks.

"Well", he responded, "If you have any love for your friend, you'll tell her to get out while she can."

A quick look of anger flashed across her eyes.

"It's not that simple Klaus."

"Oh? It's not?", he retorted indignantly.

Caroline crossed her arms in front of her.

"What about your mother then? Why didn't she just get out?", she snapped.

He closed his mouth.

Klaus always used to ask her, beg her even. Couldn't they just run away? Surely, if they left while he was away their father wouldn't be able to find them. They could hide in a tent in the woods. Camp, just like the all the boys from his school who did scouts.

Sometimes she would turn away, unable to meet his eyes, and shoo him from the room. Other times, after a glass of wine or cocktail of unwarranted prescriptions she would simply give him a sad smile, stroking his cheek and apologizing for the lives she had given them...whispering that she hoped things wouldn't always be this way for him.

He'd begged until he was a child composed solely of unbridled resentment.

It wasn't until his adulthood that he learned to see the forest for the trees...It was an unjust truth, but they'd have nothing after leaving Mikael...no home, no money, and certainly no safety.

He'd never quite learned to forgive Esther Mikaelson...but over the years he had grown to understand her.

"It's complicated", Klaus answered finally.

"Complicated", she repeated, letting the word role around in her mouth like a gum-ball.

Remembering now, it was easy to fall back into the childlike fantasy of escape, a grand break from the prison that was the Mikaelson estate. But their lives had never been that simple.

They sat in silence for a moment more before Caroline spoke again.

"He tells her that he's crazy", she sighed.

Klaus raised a confused eyebrow before she continued.

"My friend's boyfriend", she clarified, "He tells her that he's crazy, and that he's trying, but he can't help but just snap sometimes...that he's sick and that she's the 'only person who can fix him'...She's tried to leave before but he just freaks out...says he doesn't know what he'll do to himself if she leaves, that he can't live without her...Other times he promises that he's getting help, that his therapy is actually working this time but only while she's there to support him..."

It felt like she was in trance, not looking at him but past him, into some distant land.

"She was so much different when we were younger. Now she's just-", Caroline paused and swallowed, what Klaus assumed to be her apparent inability to speak ill of her friends revealing itself.

"I think- I think he needs her, and...I don't know...I think she thinks nobody's ever cared enough to need her."

Klaus watched her expression, one of reminiscent sadness. He nodded, unable to refute her point.

"That sounds..."

"Complicated?", she asked.

He wore a sheepish expression.

"Complicated."

Caroline stayed silent for a while after that, and Klaus began to worry he'd already made a mess of things.

"And Stefan?", she said, her voice breaking through the quiet.

He resisted the urge to release an audible sigh of relief at her question.

Klaus thought it odd. He hated talking to people in general, but silence between the two of them always felt so wrong, so unnatural.

"Stefan was like a brother to me, but he didn't know about any of it. He didn't need to."

"Why not?", Caroline pressed.

Klaus shrugged, "It wouldn't matter eventually, I was on my way out. We were going to uni...Had it all planned; flat mates, bachelor pad in London, girls, booze, etcetera...at least, that was the plan until Mikael found out."

He had come home one weekend to find his studio padlocked, a dry-cleaned suit hung over the knob. Mikael had found the acceptance letter to the art program he'd applied to.

"He told me that I was a fool to believe I had enough talent to paint. He swore he'd drag me to hell and back before he let me waste his money on witless dreams and that if I had any sense of what was good for my siblings I would stay home and join the company."

Klaus snarled and clenched his fists at the memory.

"That was the worst part. He didn't even want me at his godforsaken company. It was for his fucking sons, his real sons. Finn, Elijah, Kol, Henrik. It was always their's. He just never wanted me to forget that I couldn't escape him."

He ran a hand through his hair, the forgotten memories breaking free of their dam and flooding his mind yet again.

"I was so angry. So fucking angry. I just needed to get out of there- I just needed to escape", he exhaled and shook his head, " I went into my room, did a line, broke the lock to Mikael's liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle and ran."

Suddenly, Klaus felt as if he was 18 again, ripping off his school blazer and running through the halls of the estate.

"I rode my motorcycle to this abandoned farm down the road...I was so high I don't- I don't really remember what happened next. Apparently at some point I had called Stefan. He kept asking what happened, why I was there, what I had taken...I couldn't answer, I was already a gram of coke and a bottle of gin deep, screaming about wanting my father dead. He tried dragging me upright, trying to get me to his car. I was fighting him, punching, kicking, trying to keep him off me...at some point I had dropped the cigarette in my hand."

Caroline kept her eyes trained on him, but her body sat tautly upright as if she was holding her breath.

"The property was old, the fields hadn't been kept up with in years...The cigarette caught on the brush and boom...the place went up like a Christmas tree. I tried shaking him- Stefan. I kept telling him we needed to go now, that we needed to get out of there but he just wouldn't. fucking. move. He kept saying we needed to call someone- that we needed to call the cops and I- I panicked...and then I got on my bike...and I left him."

Klaus took a deep breath, trying to quell his hands as they began to shake.

"The authorities put out the fire, but not before it had torched everything...We thought- we swore- we swore the place was abandoned...We didn't know-", he stopped, his voice catching in his throat.

"You didn't know what?", she asked cautiously.

"Stefan was there when the cops showed. He stayed, gave them a statement. He never told them I was there...He thought it would be fine. It wasn't like it was arson or anything, but-"

"But it wasn't abandoned, was it?", she whispered, eyes widening as he buried his head in his hands.

"The owner was an elderly guy, a recluse. He was living in the cabin on the edge of the property...They found his body that night."

For the first time that evening, Caroline looked away from him.

The quiet that filled the air was palpable. He could feel it like a heavy fog, descending upon the space around them. He had tried for years to forget that night- waiting by the phone for Stefan's call, a call that would never come. And then, he heard about the body. He remembered it so vividly. The guilt...The fear...the way it crept up his spine, the expectant sound of officers at his door taunting him like phantoms in his mind...But the officers never came, as he would soon learn Stefan Salvatore was capable of a loyalty he could only imagine.

"Why?", she whispered, "He was your brother."

"I know..But I knew- I knew he'd get out of it", he said guiltily, "A lofty payout to the police, a loftier one to the family...I knew he'd be fine."

"Fine? You call a prison cell and familial blackmail fine?", she narrowed her eyes at him, "Why leave him? Why not go to the police yourself then?"

"Because", he answered in hushed tones.

"Because why?", she demanded more forcefully, "You're a Mikaelson, Klaus...You'd hardly be the first aristocrat to buy their way out of the justice system."

"Because he would have killed me Caroline."

His words hung in the air like an anvil on a rope, heavy, and precariously close to crushing them.

"If Mikael had known I was involved...He would have paid up to keep him family's reputation blemish-free, sure...but he wouldn't have let me live for it."

Suddenly, Klaus reached forward and grasped Caroline's hands within his own, pleading with her to understand.

"He had the money and the connections...It wouldn't have been difficult to make it look like an accident. I didn't exactly live the healthiest lifestyle back then...a drug deal gone wrong, an overdose...My family would be none the wiser. The risk of me smearing the Mikaelson name would be eliminated once and for all...and he'd get away with it."

His wavering voice eventually quieted, and he felt the tension in her body weaken in his palms, her narrowed eyes softening.

"Mikael had a stroke three months later but by the time he died, it was too late. Stefan was gone."

"You could have told him", she whispered.

Klaus shut his eyes and exhaled, "You know Stefan as well as I do, self-hatred is his mortal flaw. He never would have forgiven himself, never stopped asking why he didn't see the signs", he paused before continuing, "I'm a murderer Caroline. His hatred is the least of what I deserve."

Caroline pulled away from him sharply, forcing his eyes upwards.

"Klaus you don't seriously believe that", she said, her tone questioning.

"There's nothing to believe, it's a fact. I am everything Mikael ever thought I was."

He'd never told this to anyone, had never let anyone realize he was the monster they saw him to be after all.

"Klaus- It was an accident. You were a boy, a stupid boy who made a stupid mistake. What happened was- it was a cruel twist of fate."

"Caroline I-", he began to choke out.

"I know", she interrupted, "I know."

"No, you don't Caroline. I killed someone. There is a man, dead, because I was a coward. That is what I am."

She reached up and gripped his shoulders, staring him squarely in the face.

"Listen to me Klaus. You can't change your past, and your past is shit...but sometimes-", she paused, "Sometimes in life exists a wretched sadness. It is vast and hollow and it can follow you for years, pulling us down into the deepest depths, turning us into people we never knew existed. But that is the nature of being...I won't tell you it goes away...I don't know if it does, but you don't have to let it claim you. Your father is dead, Klaus. How much of your future are you willing to give him?"

Her words hung in the air, but instead of the damp heaviness he was accustomed to, they seemed to wrap around him like a warm sheath. She retracted her arms from his shoulders but his eyes remained locked with her's. Even with the small physical distance between them, she felt imaginably close, like he could feel the nervous energy emanating from her skin.

She was meant to run now. He had given her plenty of chances to see who he really was. So why was she still here, holding him, rejecting the inevitable damnation of his soul.

Who was this woman? Who was Caroline Forbes? The indiscernible force of nature that had descended upon his life in the most unforeseen ways?

She should hate him now. She was supposed to hate him.

It was at moments like these, moments where he felt the least in control of himself, that he tried to remember how it felt when he'd tried to hate her. The moments in time when she was just his personal voodoo doll in an ever-waging war against Tatia. It felt like a lifetime had passed in only a matter of days. Still, he tried to recall the way it felt when he'd try and goad her into fits of anger, the gnawing feeling in his gut as she dug her way under his skin. Anything and everything he could to regain power over his senses.

Because Elijah was right. He wanted something he couldn't have, and the longer he strayed from the shore the closer and closer he came to her riptide.

It would be his undoing.

His eyes dropped from her eyes to her lips, remembering the way they had moved against his own as he pushed her backwards against his desk. For a while following the incident in his studio, he'd wondered if the alcohol was truly the only one at fault. If he kissed her now, what would she do?

As if she could read his thoughts, she seemed to inch closer to him, her body moving of its own volition. Her lips parted slightly, and he wondered if he might get the answer.

Then an alarm sounded from the corner, snapping them from their trance.

Caroline jumped backwards, fleeing to the opposite end of the sofa. Her hand came to rest on her chest as though she was trying to steady her heart. Klaus resisted the urge to swear and reached for his iPhone, tapping in a passcode and disabling the incessant ringing.

He sighed, making note of the time.

"Well, according to the doctors you should be in the clear to go to bed now."

"Oh", she said quietly, "Um, I can walk you out if you'd like."

She refused to look at him, instead reaching for a robe and drawing it around her body as she faced the window, staring out into the London night.

He should go, but he didn't want to.

"Nice try Forbes", he said in an attempt to maintain casualty, "but I'm meant to be monitoring you, make sure you don't start unconsciously seizing and such."

"Klaus-"

She sent him a wary glance, but her voice was tired, lacking in it's usual defiance.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to watch you sleep like that bloke from Twilight or something. I'll stay in my chair, sure I can find a decent book in the hotel gift shop."

She turned away from him and lifted herself from the small couch, making her way to the bed across the room.

"I can already see the there's a very small likelihood of me winning this argument and luckily for you I'm too tired to phone hotel security. Just turn off the lights when you get back", she sighed, climbing beneath the covers and pulling a pillow over her face.

Klaus awoke from his spot in the chair across from Caroline's bed with a crick in his neck. Rather than sunlight streaming through the windows, he was met with the faded blues and oranges of dawn.

He glanced at the digital clock next to Caroline's sleeping form.

4:03am

It was then that he noticed the sound that had awoken him. He heard the jiggle of a handle and the distinctive creak of the suite's door as it opened, an unfamiliar voice ringing out into the hallway.

"Carebear I'm homeeeee. Well my flight was pushed up a few hours but bless us travel gods because at least this bitch got upgraded to first class am I rig-"

A slim woman with a mass of long dark curls rounded the corner, her brown eyes widening and her jaw dropping as she processed the man before her. She dropped her duffle bag on the ground, eyes darting back between a sleeping Caroline and him.

"Holy Shit", she breathed quietly.

Realizing the identity of the woman in front of him, Klaus stood and extended a hand outwards.

"You must be Katherine, I'm-"

"Oh I know who you are", she cut him off, taking note of his open hand before reaching into her bag and pulling out a carton of cigarettes.

"You smoke?"

Klaus nodded, awkwardly retracting his hand and sticking it in his pocket.

She nodded towards the balcony doors.

"Come on then, seems I have a lot to catch up on."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi loves. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter published. That's because I hate it and rewrote it like 6 times. Hopefully you garner some kind of enjoyment from it. My life is HIGHKEY crumbling right now but I'm really excited for the return of Kat so hopefully I'll have the next chapter out sooner than later. Thank you all for the love you've shown this story even in my absence (and I see there's a few new readers, hi, welcome to the shit show). Anyways, as always, you can find me on my author tumblr imaginelndn with any questions, comments or concerns. Thanks for reading. Xx imaginelndn


	21. The Friend

KLAUS' POV

He followed the mysterious woman out onto the balcony, glancing at Caroline's sleeping figure as they passed. He shut the french doors quietly behind them in an effort not to wake her.

He walked forward out into the cool night air, leaning his back against the iron railing.

He caught the lighter Katherine tossed his way and lit his cigarette, taking a long drag.

"So", Katherine began, "How long have you been sleeping with my friend?"

Klaus choked on the smoke in his lungs, coughing and sputtering in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Caroline", Katherine emphasized, "You're fucking her are you not?"

Klaus was so shocked by the bluntness of her question that he stood rigid, unsure of how to process her question. When Katherine remained in front of him, arms cross and eyebrow raised, he furrowed his brows in confusion and shook his head.

"I think you have things wrong. There's nothing going on between Caroline and I."

It wasn't exactly true, but Klaus was unsure what Caroline's best friend knew about their kiss, and something told him that he wouldn't want to be the one to reveal it.

"Ah yes, you were just inspecting her hotel room...at 4am."

"She fell and hit her head, I was making sure she got home safe", he assured, taking another drag of his cigarette.

Klaus looked out upon the city, the sun slowly peaking over the horizon. Aside from a few stray cars and the occasional early runner, the city was still and quiet.

Katherine narrowed her eyes at him and he turned away from the heat of her gaze.

"Well you're something", she insisted.

"I'm her friend", he said more clearly this time.

Katherine let out a short bark of a laugh and rolled her eyes.

"What?"

She continued to laugh quietly beneath her breath, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"What?", he asked more forcefully.

"Trust me, you're not friends."

Klaus reeled slightly at the knowing tone of her voice. Were they not? He assumed he was at least a friend to Caroline, if nothing else.

"And how do you know that?", he said, his tone a bit more biting than he had intended.

"You want to know how I know?", she asked, her tone slightly more intense, "I know, because Caroline doesn't have male friends. Tyler doesn't let her.", she took a pause to puff on her cigarette and run her eyes over his body discerningly. Her tone dripped with venom and loathing. "She's allowed Stefan, because historically, he lived on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. She's allowed Matteo, because try as I might, he play's for a different team. But you, Klaus Mikaelson...tall, attractive, rich, famous, talented...Tyler would never let Caroline get away with you...So I guess, I'm simply wondering, what's going on between you two that my best friend is so ready and willing to risk her relationship."

Klaus almost wanted to laugh at that. Risk her relationship? Hardly. He had tried. He wanted her to feel for him in the same ways he had begun to feel for her, but things weren't that easy.

"I can assure you, Caroline has been nothing but loyal to her boyfriend", he said through gritted teeth, but Katherine didn't seem to notice.

"Please", she scoffed, "You don't chain a dog up and then remark on its loyalty when it can't run away."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, an odd sense of calm settling between the pair.

"So", she said, breaking up the quiet, "You're not sleeping with my best friend, but you want to be."

Klaus looked at her again, eyes widened. He didn't think he'd ever met anyone with quite so much gall. This woman barely knew him, and yet here she was, questioning his entire life.

She reminded him of Elijah in a sense. Her silent poise, her self-assurance...her ability to see through the bullshit...it was uncanny.

"I'm sorry Miss Pierce but I just told you your best mate has a head injury, I don't quite understand why I am the subject of your current specula-"

She slammed her palm against the railing, stamping her cigarette out in obvious frustration.

"She's in bed dipshit, sleeping. I speculated that she was safe", Katherine cut him off, "Call me Sherlock Fucking Holmes. Now, do you like Caroline or not?"

Klaus pushed himself from the balcony railing he was leaning against and settled into one of the small metal chairs. The answer was obvious but the problem remained unmitigable.

"Why does it matter?", he asked.

"Because. Because I hate Tyler Lockwood. I hate the way she notices him take his phone into the bathroom. I hate watching her give him seconds chances and I hate watching my best friend throw her life away on a little boy who treats her like a toy he can grow bored of. If it takes a hot socialite to get her to realize that? So be it. I'll be your wingman", Katherine said nonchalantly.

"You really hate this guy, don't you?", Klaus asked, gathering his leather jacket around him.

"Just as much as you do, just for different reasons", she clipped.

Did he hate Tyler Lockwood? He hated the way Caroline would flinch at loud voices. He hated the way she seemed to get quiet when he was brought up in conversation, hated the way her defenses of him seemed born out of desperation rather than determination.

Klaus pushed himself to a standing position, raising an eyebrow at her as he stomped his cigarette into the cement.

"And what reasons are those? Since you know me so well?"

He reached for the door handle, intent on leaving the balcony-turned-interrogation room behind him.

"He has what you want."

Klaus let out am audible scoff.

"I need to go."

Katherine shrugged, opening the door for him to pass.

"Fine, but I'm still your wingman."

"Goodbye", he whispered, rolling his eyes and heading towards the room's exit.

"Wingman!", she whisper shouted as he closed the hotel door behind him.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Thank you all for the love and support. Happy reading! xx imaginelndn


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